Loveless
by TheUltraSupremeOverLord
Summary: Gale hasn't seen his love, Katniss, in years. And after Annie dies, he vows to see Katniss before he dies. But when he gets to District 12 he chickens out and runs off to the forest. That's where he meets Katniss and Peeta's daughter.
1. Chapter 1

This is an experiment. I have no idea how this will turn out, but hey, why not try? Review Please! I'll send you an imaginary cookie, even if you say you don't like the story.

Oh, and clearly I didn't write this story because then Katniss would have ended up with Gale. So I do NOT own the Hunger Games.

This is told in Gale's point of view, I case you start to wonder, since I managed to not place his name in this whole chapter… Oops.

**~o~O~o~**

You'd think that after five, ten, fifteen years, I would have finally gotten over Katniss, or at least moved on. But no, the girl on fire was burned into my heart and soul. Of course, she was my love.

Not that I'm the only one who hasn't moved on. Take Annie for instance, crazy or not, she hasn't forgotten the man she was in love with.

Maybe that's why we understood each other so well, us two loveless creatures, but at least Annie had Finnick for a time, I never had the privilege of Katniss loving me back the way I loved her. Still, none the less, we were both pretty hopeless cases, so we decided to live in the same house for the past few years; it was better that being alone.

Together we make a small life, I concentrated on the job that supported us, and Annie cooked. That's how it was for quite a few years, but then Annie died. I was alone again, defenseless against the pain that will always claw at my heart.

Selfishly, even though the last anchor I had to a semi-normal life was gone, I was excited for the funeral. Maybe Katniss would come and I would be able to see her for the first time in forever.

Neither her, nor Peeta showed. That's when I realized that I had to at least _see_ Katniss once before I died, and that might as well be now, since it was as good as a time as any.

I took a vacation from my all important job in District 2, packed my bags, and was headed towards Distract 12 on the train by the morning. I told the conductor not to notify anyone of my presence, and he agreed, which was good; I didn't want anyone to know if I chickened out and didn't end up visiting Katniss.

Finally, we stopped at District 12. I panicked. There was no way I could face Katniss after being gone for so long. She already hated me for not killing her in the first place, and then not speaking to her - I was in for a long ride.

That's when I decided that the woods would be a good place to gather my thoughts, something that I desperately needed to do. So baggage in hand, I started the trek to the fence and then the familiar path to mine and Katniss's meeting spot.

Even though I knew there was no chance of me meeting her there, I was still disappointed to see her spot empty. "Oh well," I mumbled to myself and settled down in the spot me and Catnip used to sit at.

Then a little head popped out of a bush, a miniature version of Katniss. "What are you doing in Mommy's spot!" the little girl with dark hair and blue eyes demanded, with the same fire her mommy would have had.

"Revisiting old memories," I replied with a laugh. I was amused by the almost exact but smaller copy of Katniss.

I held out a little yellow buttercup flower to the girl, "Want a flower?" Hopefully she took this as a gesture of niceness, not creeper-ness.

"Sure…" she replied with obvious suspicion, and once again it was all I could do not to laugh. She glared at me, "Who are you and why do you keep laughing at me?"

"I laugh because you remind me so much of your mother," I told her. That's when I decided to hold back my name until I was sure weather or not it was the right thing to do. Giving her my name could turn out bad, so I had to be sure I trusted the Little Katniss.

Little Catnip looked surprised, curious, and unsure at the same time, "I never said anything about my mom, other than you were sitting in her spot."

I laughed, she glared, "Well, you see sweetie, for one this is my spot. Your mom would sit to the right of me. And I've known your mommy since she was little, and you are the spitting-image of her.

I felt like an idiot for talking like that, and apparently Mini Katniss thought I sounded like one too, because she giggled, which was the reaction I was hoping for. But she was on a rampage, and she wanted answers, "Who's my mom then?"

"Katniss Everdeen… or would she have Peeta's last name? What was that again? Anyway, Little Catnip, your mom's my Katniss," I told her, cursing my lack of caring for Peeta. What the Hell was his last name? _Oh, and thanks for inviting me to the wedding guys, I do feel so loved,_ I sarcastically thought to them.

She was stunned. I was right, she didn't think I would be right. "Did you just call me Little Catnip?"

"Yup," I replied. Sadly, I was really enjoying this conversation, and I think that I'll be able to convince her to keep this meeting secret.

"Mommy jumps whenever she hears that name," the little girl pondered out loud, "She won't ever tell me why, but I bet you know why."

I couldn't help but smile to myself. So Katniss hadn't forgotten about me, "Yes, I do know, but how about this, you ask Catnip later today, but don't tell her about me. I'll meet you here again tomorrow at noon and you can tell me what she said. I'll even try to scavenge out a picnic for us."

"Well, I think you're fun to talk to, so I won't object to seeing you again. I'll probably come either way," Katniss's daughter said, clearly having thought this through. I could tell that she was too much like her mother and probably didn't socialize that well.

"We should head back since in starting to turn dark, but one last question, what's your name?" I asked her hopefully she would respond and not ask for my name.

Noticing the dark coming on, she was anxious to get home, and being Katniss's daughter, she was probably out here without permission and needed to get home before she was caught. So she quickly responded, "My name is Rose. And you are?"

"I'm going to tell you my name tomorrow so that you don't give anything away when you ask your mom about the Catnip story," I told her as I headed for the bushes, startling a mockingjay in the process. Man, that bird brought back some memories, most of them unpleasant.

It was my turn to hear Rose laugh, "Fair enough," she said. Then she was gone.

Now I had to make sure that I didn't het too excited about this whole thing in the first place. Besides, if Katniss found out that I was seeing her daughter, secretly and alone in the woods, she would kill me. Then she would kill me again for not coming straight to visit her when I got to District 12.

Oh, well, I never got anywhere with out taking risks.

**~o~O~o~**

A/N:

Yay the first chapters over! Was it good? Bad? Let me know. PLEASE review, they make my day. Remember the imaginary cookies.

Anyway, I'll probably update next Tuesday, but only if I get a couple reviews.

Thanks.

P.S. I feel like the title will become completely irrelevant soon. Sorry to anyone who thought this might be about the anime, or an extremely depressed Gale who was dumped over and over for his obsession with the girl he loved.


	2. Chapter 2

This is officially one of the stupidest things I have ever said in my life: "I don't care if Peeta loves Katniss. Gale loves Peeta too, you know!"

My friend walked away after I said that.

Anyway, this chapter will probably suck because I lost my draft and have too much homework to try and recover it. I just wanted to give you guys a heads up.

Thanks so much for the reviews! Now on with the story.

**~o~O~o~**

I felt stupid rummaging through the woods looking for a picnic instead f going to the Hob. Why did Katniss have to stay in a place that I actually knew some of the people and they knew me? Like if she had moved to District 6; then I would have been able to go to the market and buy a secret picnic for her daughter without being recognized.

But no she chose to live the place that we grew up in – a place was everyone knew my name. Maybe it was my fault for being the hunter; maybe that's why everyone knew my face.

Still, it was nice to be hunting for a change. And thankfully I was smart enough to bring camping supplies with me, so at least I had a bow and some plates. Now I just hoped that I would remember how Greasy Sae cooked her wild bird.

After about an hour of hunting, I had accumulated enough food from the forest to pass as a dinner. I had the grouse de-feathered and in the pot boiling with some katniss roots and other herbs from the nearby area.

I was able to sit down and feel accomplished. I hadn't lost any of my old charm had I. Now I just had to wait for Little Katniss, and judging by the position of the sun I still had a good two hours before she would show.

I patted myself on the back; everything was prepared and ready to go… the food would just be cold when the guest of honor finally showed up. Maybe someday I would win the award for the saddest person in the world in terms of their life, or maybe something with a less confusing title.

I waited, I picked flowers, and I waited again. I waited way to long, but now everything was absolutely perfect.

Then, as I was starting to wonder about the meaning of my life, I heard the bushes rustle a little ways back. I knew I wasn't an animal by how clumsy the noise was, so that meant Rose was coming.

It was the perfect opportunity to scare her, I just hoped that Mini Catnip wouldn't be mad me for startling her.

That's why I decided to just stroll through the woods up to her, not taking extra notice about how loud I was, even though I was still quieter than her.

"BOO!" I yelled as I jumped out of a bush. Rose screamed an ear piercing scream and I fell down laughing.

Then she angrily kicked me in the ribs. "I told you not to laugh at me!"

"And yet you take no not of me scaring the lights out of you," I told her in wonder, "maybe we should go get your head checked out instead of eating the food I cooked for us.

Her face lit up. Apparently somebody didn't believe me when I said that there would be a picnic. "Oh, I think that I'd rather eat dinner."

I grabbed her hand and drug her to my temporary home. I really hopped that Peeta hadn't taught her to be such a pussy that she wouldn't eat forest food.

My guess wasn't far off, considering how wide her eyes got when she saw my little set up. "I thought that people only did this on T.V."

I watched her poke into my little cloth tent and pick up my bow and arrows with confusion. Leave it to Katniss to neglect her children so much that they didn't even know how to hold their mother's preferred weapon.

"Let's eat," I said, motioning to the little meal that I had sent so much time preparing. She sat down next to me speechless as I handed her a bowl of grouse stew.

I watched as she took her first few bites. "Sorry, I'm not as good as a cook as Greasy Sae, but I did learn a trick or two from her whenever your mom and I went down to the Hob."

"OH, wait!" Rose shouted, jumping up from the ground. She pointed at me, "Your Uncle Gale! Mommy told me that if I ever met you, that I must call you that. It made Miss Sae laugh."

Well, it made me laugh too. UNCLE Gale! God, sometimes Katniss could be so weird, though I think that Miss Sae topped off my name. "Mommy's pretty prim and proper now isn't she?"

"Actually…" Rose started as sat back down and got back to eating her soup, "Daddy was the one who started all the names. Mommy used to call Miss Sae Greasy Sae, but Daddy got mad when me and brother started to call her that."

I raised an eyebrow, so now Peeta was the bad guy. I gave Little Catnip some more soup and she continued with the story.

"Last night I had Miss Sae cook some dinner with catnip in it so that I could incorporate that into asking why she freaked out about Catnip, I remember now that Miss Sae said some thing along the lines of "So Gales back now is he.

"And mom was okay with the story when she told it, actually, she was in a dream like state. Then she said that she hopped that we could meet Gale sometimes and dad said, 'Its Mr. Gale, Katniss'

"Eventually they settled on Uncle Gale," Rose said finishing her story. So maybe Peeta really was the bad guy now, maybe Katniss really needed me like never before. Either way I needed to pay a visit to Sae soon. That sneaky old lady notices everything.

It was getting dark, again. So I had to send my little girl back to my Katniss and her evil dad. "What should we do tomorrow?"

"You can tell me what that thing does," Rose said, pointing to my bow. At least now I could blame someone else for Little Catnip's lack of knowledge.

I smiled, "Target practice it is. In fact, I'll even take you hunting on Sunday, after you get in a few days of practice."

"Cool!" She smiled and then ran away in the direction of her home. I couldn't wait to teach her everything I knew about hunting.

**~o~O~o~**

Alright, this chapter is over now. Sorry about being so bad. I promise that next week I won't loose my draft.


	3. Chapter 3

You guys are all the best, you know that? Anyway, I'll have a question at the end of the chapter, cause we have to do something about the naming of Unknown 2. I was leaning towards Finnick, but I want to hear your ideas too.

**~o~O~o~**

I heard the rustle of leaves as another one of Rose's arrows made a crash landing in the leaves. I thought she would have inherited her mother's hunting skills, not her father's non-existent ones.

"I will hit you, tree!" the girl growled as she strung another arrow. I could feel better about this, because when she first picked up the bow, an arrow wouldn't go farther than her feet.

"When we go on our hunting trip Sunday, I hope you'll be able to hit something," I told her, maybe a bit more mocking than necessary

She stuck her tongue out at me. "I'd like to see you do better," she challenged, handing me the bow and arrows.

I quickly landed five arrows on the center of the makeshift target that was attached to a tree. I turned to her smirking, and was greeted with a scowl.

"You cheated," Little Katniss accused, throwing her hands in the air.

I nodded. "Yes, I cheated. In fact I spent years practicing the way that I was going to cheat against a little girl in a bow and arrow match. Good job, Little Catnip, you caught me."

It was funny to watch as Rose got all rosy in the face, "Shut up!"

"Sure, sure," I said, brushing off her comment, "Now why don't you pretend that tree is me. Maybe you'll actually hit something, besides the possible snail on the ground, anyway."

_Thump! _The arrow went straight into my… well the trees heart. I couldn't tell whether or not I should be scared, or impressed.

"You just wait," she growled, stringing up another arrow, sending it flying to the tree, hitting the bull's eye again, "I'll be a better shot than you by Sunday."

I laughed. "Maybe better that me, princess, but not better than your mother. I'd have you challenge her to a duel, but she'd kill us both."

Another thump, another bull's eye, "You're probably right. About the killing part anyway."

"No," I interrupted her praise, since it was going to be an undermining praise, not the glory I falsely desired from her, "I'm always right."

"Whatever," Rose responded, untouched by my sudden annoying-ness. Then she grabbed my hand and started to drag me in the direction of the meadow, which was probably her backyard, now that I think about it. "I think its time for you're to meet your 'nephew', Uncle Gale."

"Is it really safe for me to be this close to Katniss's house?" I wondered out loud as Little Katniss lead me towards Big Katniss's house.

Rose actually thought about my question for a moment. "Truthfully, probably not. But I thought it would be nice for you to meet my little brother."

"Does he look like Katniss or Peeta," I asked. If the kid looked like Peeta, I could meet him later, at a time that didn't risk my life.

"You're kidding, right?" Little Catnip asked, more than a bit confused. Then she saw my serious expression. Then she told me, "He looks like Peeta."

I sighed, "Then I don't really need to meet him today."

"Tomorrow then," she insisted. I hoped that at least the Peeta look-alike would at least act more like Katniss than Peeta.

Then I had another question for the disappointed child beside me. I question that would decide the fate of the Peeta clone. "How old is he."

"He's two-ish. Though I don't see how that's relevant to anything," replied Rose.

And that was the perfect age. If he was any older he would have slipped and told Katniss on me. But at this age, if he squealed, Katniss would just think that the Peeta clone had acquired an imaginary friend.

I smiled, "How bout you have Greasy Sae bring you, the Peeta Clone, and a picnic basket to the meadow tomorrow about noon. This way everyone's happy, and I don't have to sneak around town to find Sae."

"Hey," Rose shrugged, "as long as I get my way and free food, who am I to complain?"

"Exactly," I told her, and then turned to the woods, "How about you go practice on your shot a bit more, and then head home."

"Sounds good to me," she said. Then her face lit up, "Race you," and just like that the girl was off like a rocket.

Thankfully for my long legs, I was able to beat her. There was no way I was going to lose to a person at least fifteen years younger than me.

After another round about me being the world's best cheater, Rose got to the bow and arrows again. She practiced for a good two hours before she had to rest for the big day. And a long day it would probably end up being.

**~o~O~o~**

I think that Finnick would be a good name for the boy because Katniss and Peeta would have wanted to honor Finnick's death.

Maybe Gale would be a good name to, in the instance that Katniss thought that Gale was dead of something.

I want to hear your guy's opinions too, so tell me what you think.

Please review!

Oh, and rose came from President Snow's **roses **and prim**rose.** Just in case you were wondering.


	4. Chapter 4

Unknown 2 I dub you Gale.

And um… I sort of wrote this when I had a fever so… Anyway, don't get to freaked out about the Peeta clone okay. I'm a little loopy right now, so I hope I don't regret this.

And I wasn't kidding about being out of it, I dropped my lunch on the floor twice today (he he, I also feel on top of it) and my two stupid dogs ate my poor unmade lunch both times. But its okay, because I only broke a plate once during the whole thing.

Now, to the story!

**~o~O~o~**

My definition of a picnic is a group of smiling people, all of which are eating on a red and white blanket that has been conveniently placed on a hill top. The people always have cutesy little sandwiches and nice cold glasses of lemonade that were carried up the hill in a nice little basket. Of course, the people are always smiling and laughing at some untold joke. And I never forget to imagine the nice cloudless blue sky, the chirping birds, and the brightly shining sun.

Clearly, I have never been on a picnic, or near one for that matter. Or maybe the universe just hates me. Either way, I should have stayed in bed this morning.

I remember that when I woke up that I thought it was going to be the perfect day I imagined, because it was the bright sunlight shining through my tent that woke me up. So I crawled out of my tent, ready for the unnaturally perfect weather.

I was wrong. I crawled out into some perfectly unnatural weather. I was pelted by rain and hail. But don't worry, the stupid idiot sun was still shining away, completely oblivious to the horrible weather that was befalling the people of District 12.

Any normal person would have canceled the picnic, because any normal person would realize that they had no business being outside while the happy sun watched the sky spit rain and hail on you. But neither Greasy Sae nor Rose were normal enough, or at least smart enough to postpone a little lunch for a later day.

Actually I could see it now, Greasy Sae rejoicing over the "wonderful" weather and Little Katniss doing an accompanying happy dance.

I needed to meet some normal people. Maybe Katniss's son would be normal and the only normal person I would know would be a two year old, I mean, he was Peeta's son too after all.

Maybe I could also consider Peeta the only normal person I know, but I currently hate him so it doesn't really matter. I think my problem is that I just attract weirdos.

After I contemplated finding some non-lunatic friends and whether or not the Peeta clone would be normal, I headed to the clearing that we were supposed to have our picnic later in the day. Since I knew better than to think that anyone was going to be sensible and decide to have the picnic later.

So I braved the muddy woods and mentally prepared myself for then tongue lashing that the evil tyrant Sae was going to bestow upon me the second she saw me.

When I reached the clearing, I wasn't sure if I should fall over laughing, or run away screaming. It looked like the freakin ocean spit up there and left its innards to flood in a soupy mess.

The meadow was passed the swamp stage; it was almost to the flooded lake stage. Great choice in back yards Katniss; perfect day for a picnic Rose.

But my horror over the lake was short lived, because two muddy figures came running at me. And they were barking… and jingling?

That meant that they were pets, which meant…

"Finnick! Cinna! Wait up!" shouted a short little blonde kid. The blonde kid looked like she didn't belong in the mud, or near the woods for that matter.

The little girl ran after the two Border Collies, her little blonde curls bouncing, the mud staining her blur dress.

Then I heard a familiar scream, it was Rose. "Gale, get back here!"

Me and the little girl turned to were Little Catnip was walking into the clearing. "Don't you dare tell me what to do, Princess." I yelled to her.

Then I was frozen in shock as the little blonde girl also answered, "But I had to catch Finnick and Cinna."

"Sure, sure," Rose said as she jogged over to me, "How's it going, Gale, I see you've met my little brother Gale."

I stared and stared at the little person in front of me. He had shoulder length curly blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and a light blue frilly dress. Was she serious, that was her little brother? Her little brother named _Gale._ Come on. Katniss! When I get my hands on you… just, really, letting my namesake dress as a girl. Ten bucks says that this was Peeta's fault, but still.

"G… G… Gale…" I started to stutter as another familiar voice started to call, "Rose? Gale? Curse it all, where did you and the stupid dogs go?"

The old hag ran into me. "Oh, hi, Gale, how's it going," she politely asked, then continued, "After I kill the kids, I'm coming for you."

It was finally time to shiver in fear. The wrath of Greasy Sae was for anyone man, let alone child to handle.

I watched as Sae pointed her finger at the two Border Collies, Finnick and Cinna. "You two, bad dogs! No running away."

As the two dogs bowed their heads in submission, Sae turned to the children. "You two. bad children. No running away after run away dogs."

Then the evil witch or revenge turned to me, "And you, bad human. No not saying hello when you come for a visit."

I almost cracked a smile. Good old Sae. "And you, bad old Hob cook lady. No yelling at innocent little me and using double negatives."

I saw the twinkle in her eye, "I missed you," she laughed and came in to hug me. Yup, good old Sae.

"Anyway," Rose suddenly said, interrupting my sort of Kodak moment, "It's time for the picnic."

"It's going to be great!" The little me/ Peeta clone thing exclaimed, the dogs weirdly barking in agreement. Was I dreaming or was that kid really wearing a dress.

Yes, he was really wearing a dress.

I wonder what the story behind that was.

Then smart ass Greasy Sae had to make matters worse, "So, Chicken, to scared to visit Katniss. And to think that you've been harassing her daughter. Ugh, shameless."

I wasn't prepared for what was happening at the moment, and I certainly didn't need it either.

So I just turned around and left the clearing. The wackos could eat their lunch together and then go home, but I could not deal with all the grief I would get from Greasy Sae.

That, and the little kid named after me in a dress was kind of unsettling too.

I'm going back to bed.

**~o~O~o~**

And the million dollar question for today is…

Is the Peeta clone or little Gale or whatever-his-name-is to weird with the dress and all?


	5. Chapter 5

I'm back! Not exactly better, but this was going to be a pretty bland chapter anyway. Really, it is just to explain the dress. I'm keeping my joke though.

Why was 6 afraid of 7?

Because 7 8 9!

Ahahaha

Heres the chapter…

**~o~O~o~**

"Gale?" questioned Katniss as she walked into my tent. How she found me was out of my knowledge, but it didn't really matter to me, as long as she was here. I mean, why should I be suspicious? Hopefully, she missed me as much as I missed her.

"Yes, Catnip." I responded, crawling out of my sleeping bag, the morning sun shining in as if an angel had entered my tent. I had no thoughts as to her reaction of my bare chest for all I ever wear to bed is a pair of pants.

She ran at me, closing up the small gap the entrance of the tent had put between us and crushed me in a giant hug. "Oh, Gale, how I have missed you so! Peeta told me you were dead. I though I would never see you again in the world of the living."

I pointed to the now starting to fade scar on my shoulder, "So he would say because…"

Katniss gasped, "What happened, Gale, my love." She worriedly caressed my shoulder and gazed into my eyes, waiting for the rest of the story.

I looked up towards the top of the tent, but at an angle, gazing out into the distance, as if looking into the past. "Peeta shot me, for he was jealous of how much you loved me."

Katniss gasped in horror, shock was written across her beautiful face, "I can't believe that he is the father of my children."

"But you could run away with me and forget it all," I nearly yelled, dramatically sweeping her into my arms.

"Kiss me," she growled, pulling my face closer to hers. Closer and closer, and as our lips were about to meet…

"GALE!" a voice shouted, bringing me out of my wonderful dream.

I would have drifted back to sleep and back to my dream, if it wasn't for the ungrateful little foot that painfully connected its self to my shoulder. "Get up you lazy ox! You slept the day away, and now its time for target practice."

"Go away," I mumbled, throwing my pillow over my head. Maybe the dream would come back and I would be with Katniss again. That would be nice.

"Wrong answer!" the stubborn wanna be Katniss shouted, "You are taking me on a hunting trip tomorrow. So you are going to practice with me today!"

She ripped the blanket off me and groaned in unison with me, though I wasn't quite sure why. I was answered as I was pelted with various items of clothing. "Sleep with clothes on, sicko," the little girl shouted.

"I am wearing clothes," I yelled back defensively, though she had probably never seen Peeta with a shirt off, with Katniss' clothing preferences and all, "Don't pants count?"

"NO!" she shouted as she stormed out of the tent. "Now put on a shirt and get out here and help me string this bow."

I was a little mad at Rose for waking me up, but she was right. Judging by the position of the sun, it was past noon. And Little Catnip did need some practice before the hunt. And she would probably tell me why the Peeta Clone dressed like a girl, because even if that was a family secret, I'm sure she'd tell me.

I pulled on a shirt, as requested by Rose, and went out to brave the sunny day. Hopefully, today would be rather uneventful.

So I went and strung the bow for Rose, and before I started to ask the prodding questions, I had to address my growling stomach. Then, with my magical apple of apple-ness, I watched as Little Katniss made quite a few perfect shots. I was proud of her, too bad she wasn't my daughter. Now it was time for the question.

"Why does your brother wear a dress?" I asked, hoping that it wouldn't offend her. It didn't.

"Well," she sat down, as if preparing for a long story, or maybe she was just tired, either way, I was ready to listen.

"Okay, so apperantly, mom also loved another guy the same time she loved Peeta or something. Well, I'm not quite sure, since I wasn't supposed to be listening, but I think that was you." Of course she wasn't supposed to know about me.

"Anyway, Peeta never really wanted a little boy in the first place, so he didn't really like little Gale was born. But since he wasn't really thinking, he let Katniss name him Gale, though she told him that Finnick or Cinna would also be good names if Peeta didn't like the Gale idea. But Peeta didn't mind, so my little brother became Gale."

"And that didn't really bother Peeta until the first day he heard Katniss say, 'I love you, Gale,' to the baby. Now, maybe that wouldn't have been a problem, except mommy never really told daddy that she loved him."

"So daddy got made, and decided that little Gale was going to become little Anne Marie and wear dresses. We are only supposed to call little brother Anne Marie now, but Greasy Sae and mommy never do, at least not when daddy is around, so it's the same for me."

"The end," she finished in a flourish. So I did know that Peeta had a crazy brain, but it seems like his crazy was actually starting to show. I hope that Katniss and the weird kids were doing okay.

Either way, I now knew what I wanted to know and it was back to target practice. Tomorrow was the hunt.

**~o~O~o~ **

Sorry if the dream was kind of weird.


	6. Chapter 6

Why wasn't this posted yesterday? Because I forgot. But I did pull have the skin off my hand with a stupid glue gun and drop a beehive out of my tree. Considering that it took me a long time to type this because of my injured hand.

But really I just forgot till I was asleep, sorry, though the hand and beehive really did happen. Anyway, here is the chapter.

~o~O~o~

Today was the day that I was going to take Rose, Katniss' daughter, on her first hunting trip. Because of certain circumstances that were created by Peeta, both of their children, though the Peeta clone is a completely different story, have been given the chance to hunt, and have grown up under some really weird conditions.

I always knew that Peeta was bas for Katniss, or at least that's what I thought when he came back from the Capital all brainwashed and stuff.

Oh well, I told Little Catnip to be here early, and considering that I was hearing foot steps nearby, my guess was that she was here and ready for the day.

I sat down on my rock and waited, like I used to wait for Katniss on Sundays. It's actually kind of funny how this trip ended up on Sunday; maybe I am obsessed with Katniss.

NO! I do not have a Katniss obsession!

I heard my name. I knew that someone said "Gale," but it sounded more like a sigh to me.

And since curiosity killed the cat, I had to avenge the cat and figure out why Little Catnip was so sad and lost sounding.

Peeta probably disowned her or something for being up so early.

That's when she stepped out of the bushes. In the second our eyes met, my view of the world exploded. (A/N: Does that make any sense? It doesn't to me. Bad Gale.)

We stood staring at each other in shock. Really, this wasn't the reunion I pictured in anyway, shape, or form, because she wasn't: A. trying to kill me or B. rushing at me in lovey huggy joy.

Then I heard a voice in the distance breaking our silence. "Gale, it turns out Mom comes here every Sunday. Hide! Before she sees you!"

"You brought my daughter out here," was the first thing Katniss said. She waited with her eyebrow raised. Apparently this was amusing for her.

I smiled, "Yeah," Which set her off laughing, which I would have normally thought was strange, but I felt like laughing too. I had missed her so much.

"Katniss, I've missed you so much," I told her, walking over to give her a hug. She hugged me back, thankfully. It would have been awkward if she didn't return the embrace.

That's how Rose found us. She looked back and forth the two of us and looked somewhat disappointed. "I thought you said that Mom was going to kill you the moment she saw you again."

Before I could say anything to help soothe things out before they needed soothing, Katniss was already to question though. "Do I have a reason to kill him, Honey?"

"Yeah, Mommy, Gale's been harassing me," the little devil said with a pout. But I saw though the pure evil in that little demon's eyes, and thankfully, Katniss, as a creature of evil herself, saw through the falsely angelic face too.

My love responded with a pout of her own, "But I want to keep this one."

"Can I keep him, Mom? I'd take good care of him," little Katniss begged, looking for another way to possibly torture me, since the last was a fail.

Katniss played along, which would have been cute, if she wasn't contemplating making fun of me, "But you already have Finnick and Cinna. That's a lot of pets."

"I'm not a…" I started to argue, .since it seems that this little auction really could land me up in their house.

"Shhh," Rose commanded, putting a finger to her lips, "I'm bartering for your life."

Wasn't it illegal to sell someone's life? I mean, doesn't that either mean murder or slavery? I thought Panem was against that.

Not that me and Catnip ever followed these rules, and we were bound to rub off on Rose eventually, since she was at a young and impressionable age.

"Okay," Katniss decided after a moment of thinking, "We can keep him. But only if you don't tell Daddy or Little Gale."

"Oh she… I mean he already know about me," I informed her, honing that I didn't step on a landmine. Especially since things were going so well.

After a quick glare to me for calling her son a she, Katniss grabbed the blanket that was next to her foot. And I have to say, I was not happy about where this was going, "Come Rose, we must pack up poor Gale's belonging and look for anything private and personal of his that may be used as blackmail."

"Yes, Mother," Rose replied, rushing around my makeshift camp and stuffing stuff in bags. "Then we must smuggle him to the guest house."

"Correct!" shouted Katniss as she too packed (rummaged) through my stuff. Then she maniacally tore down my tent.

Normally, I would have been against this type of thing, because this would probably make the story move in a more dire direction that will start involving Other Characters and an Out Of Character Peeta, but looking at the devils that I loved, though both in different ways, I knew that it would be dangerous to my health to get in between the two and their destroying powers.

In short, they tore down my temporary home and started to drag me towards the field of bad memories and then to a little house outside of their big house.

This was where I was told that I was going to live until they could buy me a new house and reestablish me in District 12.

The cottage was cute, for all it was small and one bedroom apartmenty. It did have all the comforts of home though.

Plus, I figure that I can walk around town during the waiting period as long as I don't mention where I'm staying.

There is one rule though, "Don't let Peeta see you!" Not that I planned to let that happen anyway.

The only true regret that I had at the moment was that we had to postpone the hunting trip. Though I'm sure that there were many more regrets to come.

~o~O~o~

I don't have anything to say except that my stupid hand hurts.

So you can read this instead:

We have just witnessed a classic example of what I like to call "misdirected rage." I believe the technical term is "being an ass." ~Shigure Sohma


	7. Chapter 7

Hi guys, the plot just took a turn. How fun is that?

This also means that I will have all of the characters even more OOC than normal. Hurray!

Sorry the chapters a little smaller than normal. I was kind of stuck on how I was going to introduce the new girl.

**~o~O~o~**

I woke up in the morning feeling refreshed. I can't believe how relaxing sleeping in a hidden bed in a hidden cottage while hiding from a person's husband can be. Now I should probably be waiting for the trouble to show up, right?

Of course I would be right, because I'm not allowed to have a nice day, am I?

That's when the bed side phone rang, the one that I didn't notice before it started noise. Anyway, I cowered from the phone, because I had no idea who it could be. Maybe Peeta suspected that I was here and was trying to trick me. Or maybe it was Katniss calling to check on me. Or maybe it was some guy calling to order pizza. Or maybe I was just really paranoid.

Considering that this wasn't my phone, it probably wouldn't have been the best idea to answer it anyway, so I just let it go to voice mail. Then I heard Peeta's voice enter the recoding. "Clover, let's go to the beach today. I'll be there at noon, see you then. Don't you dare get caught."

Then before I could recover from my shock, a blonde walked out of a steamy bathroom, she'd probably just gotten out of the shower. "Yes, Master, Sorry, Master," she, I'm guessing Clover, mumbled under her breath. Then she spotted me.

"You're finally awake, Cutie! Let's just say that I'm not used to sharing this bed, and you nearly gave me a heart attack when I came in last night. Nice to meet you, hidden lover number two. I'm Clover, and you are?" Hidden Lover Number One started to ask as she sat at the end of the bed and started to brush her hair.

"I'm not Lover Number Two. But my name is Gale, if your still listening," I told her as I watched her rhythmically pull the brush through her long hair, stupidly wondering if it hurt.

"Ah, the evil heart stealer. So you are just hiding from Peeta," she said, clearing understanding a little about the story behind the whole me and Katniss ordeal. But then she added sarcastically, because she apparently didn't believe me, "Of course you're not going to go after Katniss, I believe you."

"That hurt," I told her. Then I remembered her small hate thing on Peeta. "What's he paying you for this?"

She laughed, "His heart."

I raised in eyebrow, and she started a little fake laugh, but she stopped when she realized that I just thought it was weird, not cute. 'Room, board, food, and now you, Cutie."

And before I could reject my new found nickname, Clover was up and ready to go to her date. Then, with a quick, "See you later, Cutie," she was out of the door.

I have come to the conclusion that I attract weirdos. I'm like a weirdo magnet. Or even better, I'm just the weird one and everyone is just normal.

What would my plan be for today? After checking the weather, rain, I decided. I was going to be a stalker ninja.

I was out of the door in all the black that I had in a matter of minutes, which was quick enough to watch the fancy red car turn down the street. Stalker Ninja Gale to the rescue! Not that I was going to actually save anything, except maybe myself from boredom.

When I finally arrived at the rainy beach, I just watch the two. And really, I probably would have been better of just staying home and watching the walls or something. Really, I think that Peeta should just kick Clover out of the cottage or something. She was so boring; wouldn't even hold the poor guys hand, not that I felt sorry for the moron.

Even if I am a guy, I could still see the love that Peeta felt for clover. Poor Katniss and I really did feel sorry for her. Not that I was going to say anything to her about Peeta cheating on her.

If I did it would open her up on the dating list, but I feel like she would be kind of mad about the whole matter.

Now I just have to figure out about how I'm going to hide the two, while trying to carefully tell Katniss, since she does deserve to know. And I also need to do something about Screwy Clover.

**~o~O~o~**

This really has nothing to do with the story, so if you don't care than don't read.

I was cleaning up horse poop for my mom and sister, and I must have dropped my Blackberry or something. Anyway, my phone ran away and I only found the back to it. So I could get a Blackberry Curve for 29.99 (I think) or an iPhone 3G for 49.99 in black or white. Which one?

**~o~O~o~**

I just realized that this was my only chapter that hasn't reached 1,000 words in this story so I'm just going to ramble for a bout 70 words. I have horses in my backyard, but I don't like horses (no offense) so I think that it's kind of stupid that I have to take care of them because this is the second time the have broken/lost my phone. The first time my sister's fat horse stepped on my phone when it tried to run away and it broke the screen of my Blackberry. Yay! 1,000 words! I'm done here. Thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

I almost died today. It was so scary! There was a funnel cloud forming right above my house. And then after being attacked by a cicada, I got hit in the head by some golf ball sized hail. After that I hid in my basement till the storm passed.

So here's the rest of the chapter. Sorry about being so bad about posting, I'll work on that.

**~o~O~o~**

You would think that I'd be weirded out to knowingly fall asleep with my love's husband's girlfriend who well, interested in me. But being the strange person that I am, it didn't bother me, even though this was based off of a want to not sleep on floors.

What should bother me though, is how I was slightly disappointed to see her gone when I woke up. I kind of wanted to start some kind of morning tradition or something with her.

Of course, that would probably involve waking up before noon, and well that wasn't going to happen right now. Sure, I could probably make a ritual of waking up and reading the note that Clover left me to say where she would be going that day, but that would just be creepy. Though the plate of waffles she left was a nice touch.

When I sat down to eat the waffles and read her note for today, I realized something: I was letting my time with Katniss and my two self decided adopted kids, Rose and Little Gale, fade away. I knew that it was limited and here I was just sitting around eating waffles.

And of course is Peeta found out that I was secretly living here my time would shorted drastically.

So on account of this, I set up the game plan for today. I had to start hiding some of Clover's stuff. I'm not saying that the cottage was a mess, I'm just pointing out that if Katniss happened to walk into this little house, she would wonder my there was so much makeup and jewelry lying around.

Or maybe I could make a run to the ruins of the Hob with Little Katniss; I bet that she'd like that. Wait, no procrastinating!

I really did need to clean this though, because if Katniss caught the cheater, we would all be screwed.

Right as I was armed with a trash bag and ready to rid this house of its mountains of magazines, the phone rang. I didn't answer it, that would be the stupid thing to do, but I did want to hear the message the caller would leave.

Sadly it was Katniss who called, not Peeta. Sure, it wouldn't have been sad if she just called to check up on me, to say good morning. No she had to say this: "Hey, Gale, it's Katniss. Peeta said the cottage had a phone. I wonder why? Anyway, since I know you can hear this, I want you to know that Rose and I are coming over. She said that you needed a warning because you had a problem with shirts or something. So we'll be over in about fifteen minutes."

I needed more than fifteen minutes. I probably couldn't hide this stuff in a day! Why did Peeta have to buy so much stuff for Clover? Why couldn't he just spend his money on his family like a normal father?

As I turned around in a panic, I tripped over a stack of magazines, then as I fell to the floor I managed to knock myself semi-unconscious with the corner of the gigantic jewelry box that was placed conveniently right where my head would be.

I didn't even want to think about the bathroom, filled with curling irons, hair dryers, and makeup. At least the bedroom and kitchen were normal; at least they haven't been affected by the crazy person who spends his money on a random person he found off the streets.

Then someone kicked my head. "You understand that you made the mess worse, right, Gale?"

I looked up and saw Rose peering down at me, since I was still sprawled on the floor covered in necklaces and bracelets. It seemed like a stupid question to ask her if she knew about Clover, since she was the one who had Katniss give me the warning.

"So are you going to help or not?" she asked as she headed towards the bathroom. I was amazed as she unplugged each of the hot hair burner things and placed them inside of a cabinet and covered them in towels.

I went to go help her, but after everything weird was hidden, we discovered a new problem. I was supposed to have only of been here for a day, there was no way that this bathroom would be so messy. It ended up that we had to grab the cleaning supplies and make the place shine.

The next step was the living room. Rose instructed me to stack the magazines I four stacks, and put them together as a square. Then just as she was about to through a blanket over the stack and the jewelry box Katniss walked in.

We box froze as Katniss looked at us. Little Catnip was the first to talk, "Hi, mom!"

I laughed nervously. "Hi, Katniss, how's it going?"

Katniss walked over to the stack of fashion magazines. After years of making fun of the capital, seeing me with magazines with their style in the pages was probably shocking to her. "I see that you are keeping up with the latest um… hairstyles, Gale."

"Of course I am, Catnip. How else do you think I would be so cool?" I was pinned in a corner, because I would have to be the owner of the necklaces too. I would never be able to show my face to Katniss again.

Then I saw Little Katniss freeze up. I followed the frightened gaze to the coffee table. There sat a present and a tube of lipstick.

The present was good; I could pretend that it was for Katniss. All I had to do was hope that it wasn't empty and the names of Peeta and Clover weren't mentioned. By the looks of it, there was something in it, and I'm sure that Peeta wasn't dumb enough to put his name all over a secret present.

But the lipstick. I either A: wear it or B: have a girl over who does. Either way, Katniss will hate me forever. Peeta planned this. He knows all of this! It was a trick!

"Oh, there's my lipstick," says Rose and she walks over there and picks it up. That works out. Yay! Thankfully, Katniss bought that, but she was still surprised by the magazines. Maybe Rose has a good cover for that too.

A fake pout goes across Rose's face. "Mommy, Daddy said that I could use the cottage as a hide out but I choose for it to be a secret base. We tried to hide all my stuff before you came, but it didn't work out that way. I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

Katniss walked over and gave her a hug, something that I thought I'd never see. "It's okay, Rose, I understand. I'm glad that Gale was a good friend and helped you with your game."

I stood there dumbfounded. Katniss was acting motherly, it was so strange. Then, her eyes turned to the present, as if she guessed that it was for her. So there was only one thing to do, "Here's a present, Catnip, for letting me stay here."

She opened the box and pulled out a necklace that was wild looking, with metal leaves and rocks from the woods. I'm so glad that it wasn't a pearl necklace or something gaudy she wouldn't like.

Then just as we were going through the thankyous the phone rang. This time it was Greasy Sae, alerting the two that it was time to eat. And just after they left Clover burst through the door.

"Cutie, what did you do with all my stuff?"

"I cleaned it, Messy," I told her as she stalked off to find her shampoo. I wonder how many people knew about Peeta and Clover, apparently Sae did too.

** ~o~O~o~**

I'm watching this guys dog, but when I asked what the dog's name was this happened:

Guy: My dog's name is Rube.

Me: Rue!

Guy: No, Rube.

He seriously went and crushed my dreams, but the dog does respond to Rue.


	9. Chapter 9

They're every where! So many cicadas! I don't like them! They are noisy and now they attack me in mobs! Whose idea was it to put millions of cicadas in my backyard?

Maybe I should just kill Peeta in a mob of those stupid, ugly, evil bugs. And Clover can go… um… fall in love with the money that she makes at her new job on the moon…

But killing people is bad kids, so let's not do that.

**~o~O~o~**

I woke up to one of those quiet, muffled screeches that people make when they get hurt, but they are either gagged (don't ask) or they are trying to be quiet. So I rolled out of bed, grabbed a shirt, and went to in investigate the kitchen, the home of the mysterious shriek.

I walked into the room and there was Clover, hopping on one foot, holding the other in one hand as she sucked on one of her fingers on the other. And there was no way that I could forget the omelet disaster that was burning its way into the kitchen floor.

Apparently there was a worse cook in the world than Katniss, not that her cooking was bad, she just lacked the skill to make it… taste like food. But yet, the world is filled with wonders, many of which I still do not know.

"What are you trying to do, Clover?" I asked her, laughing as I started to pick up the splattered omelet and the semi-damaged skillet, since the creator was still unable to move.

She glared at me, "Trying to make an omelet. What does it look like, dumbass?" I thought she looked a bit hateful, but I was only teasing her because, well, it's really funny how bad this meal turned out.

I poked the spot where the pan crashed into the floor. "It looks more like you're trying to burn my new floor," I told her as I angrily tried to erase the stupid stains on my kitchen floor.

She looked at me; then pointed to her big toe. It was big and swelled and looked kind of nasty. "The burning pan hit my toe as it plummeted to its doom."

"This would explain the lack of dent in the floor. Thank you, big toe, for saving me from a repair bill." I said with a smile, and I was greeted by another glare. "So, what do you want me to do about your toe?"

I saw the quick flash of a devil go through her eyes and instantly knew that it was a mistake to ask her that. "I want you to kiss it and make it feel better, cutie."

I looked at her and she stared back intently. "No," I deadpanned and went to do find the magical stain eraser I saw Rose use the other day during our cleaning escapade.

"Just, 'No?'" she asked, pretending to cry. "You didn't even yell, Cutie, it was just 'no.' You are so heartless."

"Loveless," I corrected her but then of course I had to retort, because no one calls me heartless. I'm a freaking saint. "And you are a moron," I told her with a peppy, fake smile as I motioned to the crispy egg and cheese kitchen disaster.

Then came the look of a challenger, someone who would go all out to win the competition. Someone who knew they would win. "So you can cook better, Gale?"

Since I was no longer 'Cutie,' I knew that I was up for a real fight. But it was a fight I could win, as long as it wasn't her that made the waffles yesterday, and that was Greasy Sae, because they were really good. "So, who made the waffles yesterday?"

I knew I could beat the omelet but the fluffy clouds of golden joy that I ate yesterday, probably not.

She smiled, "I did. Waffles are my passion! I have perfected the art of the waffle making and the art of the coffee maker. Not much else, though. Sadly."

Clover had a passion for waffles. What exactly did that even mean? Did she have a collection of waffle trinkets and eat waffles every morning for breakfast? Was it even polite to ask someone about their waffle passion? Was it expected of me to ask?

'They're just so… fluffy and warm," she started to ramble. And once she started going, there was no stopping her. After the history of the waffle and the key to finding the perfect syrup I completely zoned out and contemplated how to pronounce syrup.

I mean some people say syrup but others are more surup pronunciation people. It's like the hammick hammock debate that I've over heard a couple of times when people were on break at my work.

But Clover didn't let me daydream any longer that her one hour and forty-five minute speech on the texture of waffles because the next thing I knew she was up in my face, raving about her new waffle earring.

I do have to say though, I probably wouldn't have noticed them if she didn't point them out to me because they sort of blended in with her blonde hair.

"Anyway, Cutie," she started. I couldn't help but be disappointed that I was being addressed as 'Cutie' again; I thought the stupid girl knew about Katniss and my obsession of her. "We both cook a meal and then have Little Rose judge us."

"Huh?" was all that I could consciously reply. Clover was actually on good terms with Rose. That was strange isn't it?

Clover shook her head at me and knocked on my head. "Didn't you know that your love, Katniss, has daughter. Yes, she has two beautiful daughters. One looks like her and the other looks so lovely, with her blonde hair and frilly dresses."

"We will have the competition tomorrow, see you later, enemy." She said as she skipped away to get ready for her date with Peeta.

Great, know I have to think of something to cook. But really, all I have to remember to do I remember that I'm a better cooker than Clover and Katniss.

**~o~O~o~**

I never really knew Peeta's last name. And the other night while I was reading _Catching Fire_ I saw his last name and Gales. Peeta's boring to me; in fact I can only remember that it had an M and a K. Mellark? Or something. But I liked Gale's because it's sort of pretty. Hawthorn was it?

Anyway, now I kind of know Rose's and Little Gales and Katniss's last names.

_I'm trying to post this chapter but I don't know how! What happened to the site? Did I break my computer again? It's weird! Oh, I get it now. ~_ that would be me about five minutes ago.


	10. Chapter 10

Yay, I made it to the tenth chapter. But I just ran out of pages in my notebook, so the next chapter might be delayed. Probably not, I'm joking. I just need a new notebook now.

Here's the chapter.

**~o~O~o~**

"Are you sure this is okay?" I asked Rose as I looked at the Home Ec classroom that she had just snuck me and Clover into. It was pretty nice in there, with two full set kitchens, something that not even our old cafeteria had when I was in school.

"Yeah, I'm sure," she said, as her friends backed her up by nodding. I forgot to mention that not only was I here with Little Catnip and Clover, but Little Catnip's whole class.

Clover walked over and poked one of the shining stainless steel stoves, "And what exactly is all this for? All I wanted was for you to judge who's cooking was better, not all this."

"Well you see, in my American History," Rose started to explain. Who knew that they would eventually teach about something besides coal in this school?

Clover came over to me looking confused and tapped my arm, "America?"

"The place that was here before Panem, the started to do a lot of research on it after the whole Mockingjay incident, so I guess they teach about it in school now," I told her in a whisper, hoping to hide the fact that I had a lack of American knowledge also.

Rose glared at us, apparently mad at us for interrupting her explanation, "Anyway, the used to have a show called _Iron Chef America_ and it's basically a show about two chefs who go head to head to see who the better cook is. But the catch is that they have to make a three course meal out of a secret ingredient that is revealed right before the contest starts. And then they only have a certain amount of time to cook."

"We will be your judges," said some random kid with glasses. He stood with two other kids, neither of which had glasses.

A little blonde girl pushed me and Clover each to our own station, "Now the games start. Timmy will now unveil the secret ingredient."

I turned to look in the direction she was pointing. Timmy wasn't the kid with the glasses, but one with the look of people from the Seam. Did the Seam even exist anymore?

"The ingredient today is these random purple berries we found in the Nature Club's greenhouse," said Timmy the Seam boy. He revealed some berries that did, in fact, fit the description of purple.

"Ooh, they look yummy!" said Clover, racing over to grab her basket of the random purple berries. "What are they called?"

"Umm…" said the four children in unison. I guess no one bothered to check the labels. Would those idiots really expect us to have to use what I can now tell is Nightlock as our main ingredient?

Then Rose perked up in her seat, maybe Katniss did teach her something, "They are called Purple Berries, they used to be all the rage in the capital because they taste so good."

Okay, so maybe Katniss didn't teach her anything. I guess none of them did know what they were. "It's called Nightlock and it's very poisonous. So set it down, please, Clover."

Clover set down the basket, but didn't look like she believed me. "No, Gale, Nightlock was those little pills that the special Mockingjay people used when they tries to go kill President Snow. I heard that on I TV documentary anyway."

"They were named after the berries that Katniss used at the end of the last actually finished Hunger Games. The one where she saved both her and Peeta," I said, and then sadly like some person who just likes to talk about himself, I started the Nightlock pill story.

"Katniss's stylist Cinna designed the pill and the fact that that it could be bitten off and swallowed in a moments notice. It was actually quite ingenious, the fact that we had an easy way to kill ourselves before we were tortured for information."

"What, you were in that part of the Rebellion?" was the first words out of Rose's mouth. Clover just started at me in shock. My guess was that she just started remembering me from TV.

I looked at Little Catnip weird. Shouldn't her mother tell her about this stuff, or at least the school? "Yeah, Rose, I was with your mother the whole time; or at least the whole time until I was captured."

"Why didn't you use your Nightlock pill?" Clover asked me as I was simultaneously bombarded by a question from Rose. "Mom helped with the Rebellion?"

I looked at the poor girl weird again, "Yeah, Katniss was the spark that started the resistance in all the Districts. And I'm still alive right now because some idiot by the name of Peeta was raving mad, and I mean worse than usual, felt the need to have one. And since I didn't want Katniss to give up hers, I gave Peeta mine, since I was in a relatively safer position than the Mockingjay was."

"Mom never tells me these stories and the school doesn't teach them to kids as young as me. Tell me more!" said Rose as she eagerly sat on the floor in front of me. I wonder if she knew about her Aunt Prim.

Just as I was about to start my story, and trying to find a way to make it as kid friendly as possible, Timmy the Seam kid and the Random Kid with Glasses walked back into the classroom. When did they leave in the first place?

"Look at what we brought," said Timmy as he held out a familiar root, "I don't know what this is, but it doesn't look poisonous."

"Its katniss," I told them, as I looked at the root that my love was named after.

"Where!" shouted Rose as she dove for cover, figuring that I must have meant that her mother was here.

Looks like I had to tell the Katniss root story and then win a cook off. Then tomorrow, I had to hunt down Katniss and have her tell her daughter for stories about her past.

**~o~O~o~**

I don't own _Iron chef America_. Actually I've never even really watched it before, which explains why the rules are so vague. Is it even a show anymore?


	11. Chapter 11

Yes, this chapter really is all rambles. No, I really don't care.

I need to sleep so badly cause I'm so tired the room is spinning. Oh well.

Here's the ramble chapter. (Sorry about this)

**~o~O~o~**

When I woke up this morning, I thought that today would be a good day. Clover was out on a date with Peeta, so I didn't have to worry about her. And then Rose and Katniss were coming over to visit with me.

So maybe being stuck telling about the Hunger Games and hearing about Katniss's feelings about Peeta during them wouldn't be so great, but at least I would be near Katniss.

That doesn't make me sound like a weirdo, does it?

Anyway, I had the snakes prepared, because, as the King of Cooking, it was my duty to make sure that my guests never go hungry.

Did I mention that I won the contest against Clover? Yeah, I'm awesome.

Well, just as I finished the final touches on the little snacks and chips that I set out, my door was knocked upon.

Since it was Rose, and not a normal person taking the lead, she just barged in. And since it was Katniss following, and since she would have done this anyway, she continued the march in.

"Welcome, welcome. Be my guest. Be our guest, be our guest," I started to say, but then started to end in a bit of a sing songy voice.

"Do NOT start singing, Gale," ordered Katniss. Apparently, my love was upset about something. Or she just realized that I was almost in a drunken state, not that she knew the cause of this problem.

Remind me to kill Clover or buy another bed, I really want to sleep again.

Then Rose, who was immune to the horrible aura that was in the air, began her begging, a few minutes before planned. So I guess that story time was going to a bit earlier. "Tell me a story Gale. Mommy, you too!"

I watched as the little imp bounced around the room, whining for the story of the Hunger Games to start. "Momiji!" I randomly shouted, not sure what had just happened.

"What?" both Katniss and Rose said, very confused. Yay, it was a confused person party!

"Well," I said, snapping back into reality, where I belonged. "Don't you think that we should start telling your daughter your story, Katniss?"

"Sure, sure. But in a minute, I have to do something real quick." And with that, Katniss went down my hallway. That's when _she_ reappeared.

"Dammit, Clover! Why are you here?" I yelled in a whisper. Hopefully, Katniss would be a minute.

"Lover Boy was caught sneaking out to meet me, Cutie. Why so angry?" she said, very normal like. "Anyway, isn't this shirt really cute?" she asked as she pulled a shirt out of a bag, showing me where she was during the hours I thought she was on a date.

Rose's eyes got really big, "Yeah, it is really cute! Where'd you get the money to buy it?"

"Gale's wallet," she said with a shrug, as if nothing was wrong. Everything was wrong at the moment.

Then I heard Katniss's voice, "I'm coming back now guys."

That's when my minds alarm went off. "CLOSET!" I shouted as I pushed Clover off her dainty little feet and into the closet, slamming the door shut before Katniss could see inside.

"Are you okay, Gale?" asked Katniss, as she slowly pushed Rose behind her. I think she thought that I was some sort of rabid animal that was going to kill her daughter.

I smiled at her, but it looked really creepy, since I was so angry about how my perfect day was ending up. "Sure, I'm just fine."

"Um… Gale?" Katniss said, this time sounding really freaked out. I had to do something to lighten the mood.

So I did something really stupid, considering how my smile went: I laughed. "Hehehe."

Katniss started to push her daughter towards the door, "We are leaving now, Gale," she told me, then directed her statement to Rose, who was trying really hard not to laugh at me, "Sweetie, Gale needs some time to himself. How about I tell you these stories in the park, away from your daddy and Gale."

"Bye, Bye ,Gale, Clover," Rose shouted to us as the door was slammed.

Clover then fell out the closet, causing a mountain of her trash to rain out on top of her.

"Well, that could have turn out bad," she told me with a smile. "Well, good night."

I resisted the urge to kick her sleeping face and walked away.

Why did I have to be crazy in Catnip's eyes?

**~o~O~o~**

Today at work some guy called and asked a question.

Guy: So you guys just got in new chairs.

Me: Yup, brand new ones.

Guy: So they are new?

Me: Yes, brand new.

Guy: And they have all four legs. I mean, they aren't missing any legs?

Me: _No, we got brand new chairs that only have three legs. You just have to watch out or the chair will tip over, since out brand new chairs are missing a leg. _Yes, the chairs have all their legs.


	12. Chapter 12

Hi, hi! My computer is being an jerk and not working, so this chapter will be up when my issues are resolved with this stupid thing.

Or I could just learn how to post chapters from my iphone…

Anyway, I hope I can get this up before next Tuesday. (It wasn't)

(This has been a note from the past. Thank you for reading this story/chapter, future people.)

~o~O~o~

I have to say, my first day as an official crazy person was relatively quiet. I mean, sure, maybe as one being shunned, I would assume that my day would be quiet and uneventful.

But when has my life ever been quiet and uneventful?

In fact, this little detail of my life left me wondering what one was supposed to do on a lazy day. Was I supposed to watch TV or something?

Then there was a knock on my door. I was positive that it wasn't Rose, was laughing when her mother told her that I wasn't allowed to see her anymore. That little witch just wanted to torture me.

And Clover was on a date with Peeta. I hadn't seen her since I made her breakfast and she was supposed to be back around dinner.

I got up to answer the door knowing full well that it wasn't going to be someone I want to see. They all had better plans.

I opened the door to find a man in a mail man suit and a package in his hand. My brain told me that he must be a mailman, but he probably wasn't out to destroy me like some of the other people I know.

"Hello," the mailman said politely as he handed me the letter, "Mrs. (what ever the hell her last name is… Mellark? Mirak? Sorry, I'm to lazy to google it or see if I can remember it or anything, though I probably do owe you guys that.) _Anyway…_ Mrs. [insert Katniss's last name here] asked if I could deliver this to you."

"Um, thank you?" I told the mail man as I accepted what I eventually learned to be an apology and a warning note from Katniss.

Then it hit me how lonely I was.

I grabbed the mailman's shirt as he started to walk away. I checked my watch it was three o'clock, tea time, "Would you like to stay for tea?" (I'm back again, I could be lying about the whole tea time thing, so don't get angry if I'm wrong.)

The mailman gave me a strange look. "No, thank you, Sir; Mrs. Marik informed me that you were possibly mentally insane. Here, have this brochure."

I looked at the brochure; it was a pamphlet on the local nut house. "Thank you for worrying about me, Mr. Mailman, but Mrs.… Peeta's wife happens to be wrong."

"Whatever. Well, bye!" Mr. Mail Man cheerfully said as he walked happily down the path.

Well, I've officially seen two living souls today. Clover at breakfast, which was no fun because she called me "Cutie" and said the word "Waffles" about a thousand more times than I can handle.

And then I also saw Mr. Mailman. But he was convinced that I was a crazy and also no fun.

I unconsciously threw Katniss's letter to the side without reading it and walked over to the television. I figured that I might as well learn how to use one of these things for not watching the Hunger Games or some other mandatory capital show like I used to.

The first channel that appeared was probably Clover's doing. I had the show on for only a minute, but that was enough time for me to hear, "I'm not your husband; I'm really his twin brother's clone," and a "gasp!" I quickly clicked the next channel button.

"It's the amazing WAZAM! It'll clean that dirty coal dust off of everything! And if you..." I cut the commercial short. I didn't need any reminder of my times in the mines.

I changed the channel to something that looked like it might end up being promising. Then the show started, "Welcome to out first SYOT Hunger Games Reenactment," the TV started to drone before I changed the channel again.

I ended up one some strange show that talked about ancient American history, but my mind stayed focused on the Hunger Games reenactment. Why would someone participate in that? I thought that we were all glad that those infernal things were over!

I was still lost in thought when someone called to me. I jumped off the couch in fright as I saw Katniss standing right in front of me.

"Why are you here, Catnip?" I asked her honestly wanting to know.

"Didn't Billy give you the letter? It said that I would be here about 5:15, which was five minutes ago," she informed me.

Yet, being the wordsmith that I was, all I could think to say was, "Billy?'

"The mailman," she said in a voice that made the man seem relatively unimportant.

I nodded hoping that she didn't realize that I really just didn't read the letter.

"Anyway," she began, "I'm not sure what happened yesterday, and I don't really want to know. All I know is that it's not fair for me to call you crazy. I'm sorry that I jumped to conclusions."

I smiled at her, genuinely happy that she came here to apologize to me. "Its okay, Katniss, I might have done the same thing."

She smiled along with me. "Anyway, Gale, you are allowed to see my kids again. Just don't…"

Then the door crashed open and Clover's voice called, "What's for dinner?"

I wanted to die as Clover walked in dressed like the slut she was. All she could say was, "Well, crap," as she and Katniss stared at each other in shock.

And just when I got Katniss to apologize for something.

"wha… go… on?" was the first shocked words that Katniss sputtered out.

Then Rose came over to join the party, "Hey, Gale, Clover's coming back you should probably…" then rose saw the mess I was in. She started to laugh, "Great job hiding her."

"She's um…" I started to say, but I was lost for words. This was just great, what was Clover?

Clover then chimed in, "I'm…" Okay, so she didn't know what to say either.

We all stood in silence for a moment. Then I saw a grin on Little Katniss's face, not the Cheshire one that would indicate that she was about to say that me and Clover were lovers. No, this was a relieved smile of a little villain who was going through the mail when she wasn't supposed to.

"Clover's one of your cousins who's coming to visit," Rose said with a smile.

Katniss looked confused for a moment, "I thought only Ceil and Sebastian were coming.'

"Surprise," I shouted in unison with the other two guilty people.

"I'll go tell Sae to set some more places on the table!" Katniss said as she believed the story, "Gale, you can even eat dinner with us tonight!"

I watched as Katniss headed to her house. Ten bucks said that Peeta would be there. This was so not good.

~o~O~o~

Little Gale: Why haven't I been in the story lately?

Me: Shut up! My computer was broken. Do you think that I've had time to write you into the story?

Little Gale: But…

Me: At least I put you down here.

Little Gale: *walks away from me*


	13. Chapter 13

**Me:** Sorry I didn't update. Little Gale knocked me unconscious and I was in that state till an hour ago.

**Little Gale:** No I didn't! You were in Colorado to kayak.

**Me:** But that's not a good excuse.

**Little Gale:** Blame your Aunt.

**Me:** Fine, sorry I didn't update. My Aunt dragged me sixteen hours away from internet connection and a computer a day before schedule.

**Little Gale:** By the way, can I be in this chapter?

**Me:** Nope.

~o~O~o~

I watched as Rose and Katniss walked out the door. Then I turned to Rose, "I can't believe that Katniss fell for that lie. Like you guys are actually cousins."

"Oh, we are," said Clover with a completely serious face. I stopped laughing and stared at her.

"And this important tidbit of information didn't come up before because…" I asked, probably a little more sarcastic than necessary. I didn't really mean to sound mean.

She either didn't notice or didn't care. Which was a relief in its own way, I really didn't want to be leaving with someone who hated my guts. Though, if we didn't find a way to fix the dinner problem, I probably wouldn't be living here in the near future.

"You never asked," she said with a shrug. Yup, she was an idiot.

I rolled my eyes; she didn't seem to see any problem in waltzing into Peeta's house and having that idiot say something stupid. "And, Clover, what exactly do you plan to do when Peeta shouts out, 'Why are you in my house. Out! Before Katniss catches you.'"

"Oooh," she said, nodding her head as she suddenly understood.

It took all my will power not to slap myself on the forehead. "Welcome back to earth, Clover, now why don't you call Katniss and politely decline the invitation."

I started to walk out of the room to go and make dinner when I heard her call my name. I thought it was about time for me to solve her problems. I am a wonderful person, so helping wouldn't bother me.

"Um, sweetie," she pouted, "would you please call instead. I don't want to risk having the possibility that Peeta pick up the phone."

I quickly rushed out of the room as I shouted back to her. "Hell on. You fix the problem."

Yeah, like I was going to risk Katniss hating me more that she already does. First I semi-kill her sister and then I break her hopes and dreams and… Wow, Katniss is kind of a piece of word isn't she?

Oh well, I still love her.

Then the arms were around me. "Please," she begged. It was hard to resist but…

"NO!" I shouted as I ran away. Which wasn't very smart; I just ended up dragging her around with me.

Then something punched me in the stomach, hard. Hard enough to sent me to the sidelines to puke.

Then I looked up to the Catlike Little Katniss. She smiled brightly up at me. "I figured you'd need an excuse, you poor feverish creature."

I looked down at the little devil. "Wow, thanks a lot. It's not like I couldn't have pretended to puke or anything."

Of course, Clover was hugging Rose with tears of joy in her eyes. "Oh, thank you so much. I really wanted to see my brother before I got kicked out."

"Glad to be of service," she said with a smirk. Then she disappeared into the shadows, causing Clover to jump and say "She's so scary!"

One day, I was going to kill Rose for being so devious. But that would be the day that Rose stopped saving my butt and I decided that I didn't care if Katniss hated me. Oh, and I would also kill her when I decided that I wanted to go to prison.

"So now what?" Clover asked me as she peered over my shoulder to see what I was doing at the stove.

"Boiling water," I told her. And you know what, I didn't sound like watching water boil was as exiting as watching paint dry. I was such a good actor.

Just as the water of excitement was starting to bubble, there was a knock on the door. I wonder who that was. Wait, why was I only thinking that, I should say it out loud.

"Who do you think that was?" I asked Clover as I thought about all the stupid conversations I have had in my head.

Clover looked happy. "Maybe its Little Gale, I haven't seen him since Peeta introduced me to his children. You know, in case I had to babysit them."

"Who?" I asked her. Why was there a strange person named after me. I know no "Little Gale."

Clover looked at me like I was the weird one. "You know, little, named after you, looks like Peeta, dresses like a girl. He's Katniss's only son. His age is undetermined and he has only been in a chapter or two. How can you forget someone as important as that."

I thought for a minute, and since the name didn't ring a bell, I didn't really have anything to say. "Well, Clover, apparently I could forget him very easily. Now would you so kindly answer the door while I cook these noodles?"

She didn't respond to me, and I was sure that I had left her speechless. Hurray, maybe she would be quiet for the rest of the night. That idea was growing on my very rapidly.

Then she squealed, "Brother! Ceil! Welcome you two! Here, come in, come in. Gale, my roommate will make you some dinner. He was just going that now!"

Great, the family was here. And I got the job of feeding them. Wonderful.

~o~O~o~

**Little Gale:** Why couldn't Gale remember me?

**Me: **Because I erased all his memories of you.

**Little Gale: **Why?

**Me: **Because now you will never be in any chapters again. Mwuahahaha!

**Little Gale: ** Jerk.

Alright guys good news:

One: I'm getting a laptop in the near future, so I can actually type these chapters out without having to hear the family complain that I am hogging the family computer.

Two: I set on an email so that you guys can all annoy the crap at me until I update the chapters when I need to. I don't care what you sent, actually maybe I do. So um… if you do actually email me just to get my phone ringing till I break down and type, well lets stick to stuff that's not a virus. Okay! Thanks.

~o~O~o~

Update: Sorry, the email address didn't show up. Its a gmail account. Its theultasupremeoverlord and the ending from gamils.

Its on my profile.


	14. Chapter 14

Can you guys believe that I actually posted something on time!

Now if I can just figure out what _Cold Sassy Tree _is about.

And sorry this is really just a short drabble.

~o~O~o~

When I woke up, I was lying in the middle of the kitchen floor.

At first I couldn't remember why I was in the middle of the kitchen, it really was a stupid place to fall asleep. Then I remembered.

Last night, the cousins Sebastian and Ceil arrived, which would have gone normally, you know, if this hadn't happened:

_Clover opened the door and squealed like a fangirl meeting Edward Cullen, "Brother! Ceil! Welcome you two! Here, come in, come in. Gale, my roommate will make you some dinner. He was just going that now!"_

"_Oh, a roommate," said Voice #1, "Is she nice?"_

"_Yup, now come this way, Brother," Clover told Voice #1, her brother, Sebastian. Then she stopped in the kitchen doorway and saw me starting to cook. She looked frozen. "Wait, there's a misunderstanding,"_

_Then her blacked haired brother walked in to my cooking room dressed in his Capital worthy fashion. "Why is there a man in the kitchen?"_

_Clover tried to grab her brother, but was to slow, "I told you there was a misunderstanding!"_

_Then, there was a yank on the back of my shirt collar. "I can never forgive you," growled the big scary man with weird eyes._

_There was an intense pain in the back of my head, and just as I was blacking out, the young cousin walked in. "What'd he do, Sebastian?"_

_And before I could hear an answer, I was headed towards the underworld._

You know, if Clover's brother is just going to be mean to me, maybe I should pretend to stay knocked out till they leave. I was about to close my eyes when the younger cousin with two different eyes, Ceil, poked me with his shoe.

"Quit playing dead, you lazy mule, I hunger. I order you to make breakfast," commanded the little guy with blue-green hair. I don't think I liked either one of the new characters much.

Just as I started to crack eggs, there was another fangirl scream. This time it sounded more like a Justin Bieber squeal. "Ceil, you're here!" shouted a familiar voice. It makes you wonder if Rose knows everyone on the face of the planet. I remember this one time we were walking around the town looking for Greasy Sae's groceries:

_You know I don't think I would ever like to be a hobo. Poor little homeless guy, I wonder if I should give him a carrot._

"_Hi, Steve," Rose gleefully shouted to the hobo, as she handed him an onion, his favorite I learned later on._

_Hobo Steve smiled and waved at Rose, "Thanks, Sweetie, see you later."_

"_You know, Steve once tried to jump off of a building once but then Flower-Girl convinced him that card board boxes weren't as scary as they looked and that they only ate people once a year." Rose started to ramble._

_I wonder if I should buy more onions…_

Okay, so maybe that didn't really show that Rose knew everybody, if anything, it might have proved what a creepy child she was.

"Hey, Rose," a new voice shouted in the living room. It wasn't a very familiar voice. Maybe it was the voice of a very unimportant minor character. "Can I be in this chapter?"

Then I heard Little Katniss, who seemed to be tired with the little brat Ceil already and moved on to this new minor character. "No."

There was some crying and then some silence. Maybe I was wrong about the whole matter a second ago, now that it was plot related or anything. I know, haha what plot?

Just as the eggs were about ready, the pain in my head increased. And once again I blacked out.

_When I would up, it was hot and everything smelled of ashes. Looking around all I could see was a raging fire. And just as the fire was about to sent a beam of its super fire rays at me, a giant egg monster attacked me and cooked me on a skillet._

I woke up, on the floor again, with a start. Thankfully someone had turned off the stove.

That dream taught me a very important lesson, never anger an egg monster.

~o~O~o~

I'm glad I made time to eat. I'm such an idiot, and tired.

6:30 AM: Convince self to wake up

9:00 AM-11:30AM: convince myself to run up and down hills

11:30AM: go to work

5:30PM: leave work

10:00PM: post fanfiction


	15. Chapter 15

Welcome to the first laptop produced fanfic I have ever posted. You probably didn't know this, but I managed to type this out quicker than normal.

Huzzah! Now I should try to convince myself to go to sleep.

Nope, not going to happen.

~o~O~o~

"My brother wants to take you on a picnic," Clover said without prelude as she waltzed into the kitchen where I was intently eating my Cheerios for breakfast.

I couldn't help it; I cringed when I heard her mention her brother. It wasn't every day that someone randomly knocks you out. Ii mean, sure, it's happened, but having a picnic with that person a day or two after words, no thank you.

Clover smiled as soon as she knew that I acknowledged her. "Yup, he wants you to go on a forgiveness picnic."

Thankfully, my mouth was full and I didn't have to respond, though I'm sure she didn't care either way. Still, I had to wonder what the catch was.

"Well, actually," Clover continued, see I didn't have to wait long for that reason not to go. Oh wait, I already had one, her brother hated me. "It's really a cousin's only picnic, but since I have to be with Peeta, it will just be you, Katniss, Ceil, and Sebastian. Doesn't that sound fun?"

Wow, that sounds about as fun as swallowing acid as I was stabbed by hot pokers. Super fun!

"Um… Clover," I tried to explain to the blonde, who of course didn't care enough to use the brain power to process what I was saying. "I'm not actually one of Katniss's cousins."

She turned and looked at me like I was the one without a brain here. "Yes you are," she told me like I was a clueless three-year-old, "The television said so when I was watching a flashback."

A _flashback?_ "Clover, that was a lie," I told her. I guess she would actually know that though.

She smiled at me and laughed, "No, Silly, the TV never lies. Only you."

Only me?

Either way, in a half an hour, I was one my way to the Hell picnic from… Hell?

~o~O~o~

I felt like a walking stick, and considering how tense I was, I probably looked like one two.

Gale the Walking Twig: that's what I should be called from now on.

But you couldn't exactly blame me; I was standing between a sadist and a scary guy. Not to mention the person who blamed me for the death of her sister was right behind us. She was glaring at me so hard from behind; it felt like she had burned a hole in my back.

Was it wrong that I still loved her?

Wait, I can answer that for you. Yes, it is. And of course she is married on top of all that hating stuff.

For some reason, I started to feel like I was forgetting something. It probably was the extra hate that Katniss was putting into every glance and every scant word that she had to say to me.

I walked with this feeling latched onto me for about twenty more minutes when I came across a proper little rose bush growing on the side of the path that we were walking up. I was thinking about how Rose would have liked to see that when it hit me.

It was the anniversary of Prim's death.

Crap, today was going to worse than I had planned. Maybe I should ask for Sebastian to punch me again.

"Gale!" Katniss suddenly shouted, "Apologize to that worm you almost murdered. You killer!"

I'm glad to see that we were on speaking terms again, but seriously, I don't even think there was a worm there because the second that I turned around, it had magically disappeared.

"Take it," Ceil ordered me the second that he came to his turn to carry the picnic basket. I took the basket from the brat, I didn't want to cause a scene and give Katniss another reason to scold me. But she sure found a reason like her sole purpose was to criticize every little thing that I did.

"IDIOT!" she screamed, "'The basket is tilted. You'll spill the food."

I put up with it by blocking all conversation out for the next fifteen minutes. I went back to listing as soon as I reached the picnic point, but all I got out of that was Ceil saying, "You fool, I am the weasel."

Strange child.

As Sebastian set out the food and Katniss went back to ignoring me, I had to wonder, was this Sebastian guy a good cook. Sure, there were lots of more important things to worry about like world hunger and the aliens attacking us and Katniss hating me, but if I didn't like the food I would probably get my brains bashed in.

When I asked Sebastian what the strange patty things were, he told me that they were hamburgers, the staple of the ancient American picnic.

I'm not sure if I wanted to try Ancient American food, it was probably filled with poison and other unhealthy things. But since this was made by a guy who seemed to take care of his figure, I wouldn't have to worry about the food being unhealthy. I just had to worry about poison.

When everything was properly "grilled" we all sat down to eat in relative silence. I had to say, the hamburgers weren't too bad. I would have expected more poison and dying from food made by my new enemy, but really it was just a good lunch.

Then the bombed dropped on our peaceful picnic. "If only Rose were here," mumbled Ceil like a love-struck fool. Great, he just had to go and mention her.

"You moron!" Katniss shouted, once again going into a fit of rage. "How could you just let her die, like that? I HATE YOU!"

Ceil jumped, as if he was the one under fire and Sebastian went to protect him. Glad to see that they had my back in case something went wrong.

Did I mention that I haven't really seen Katniss much after the death? I guess you could have guessed from all the pent up anger.

"I didn't kill her and you know it," I yelled back as I pulled Katniss into a hug. But since she was struggling so much it probably looked like I was trying to strangle her… not that anyone was trying to stop me. "She died doing what she loved and helping people."

"You're lying," she shouted back. I could tell that she had never really forgotten, she had just buried the memory, which was pretty stupid on her part. She needed to let go.

"Ssh, Katniss, I said stroking her brown hair, "Just let Prim go. Let her spirit move on to a world of sweets and joy… and joyness."

When she calmed down, I noticed that everything was packed up and ready to go; maybe Ceil and Sebastian weren't such bad people after all.

And maybe, just maybe, my love had forgiven me.

~o~O~o~

Do you thing that I would be able to incorporate this into my lit and writing class? I should probably just write a new fanficton if it ever gets to that point.

Oh well, two weeks of work and then school, yippee!


	16. Chapter 16

I really sorry I didn't update. I actually tried to type this out when I realized that it was Tuesday. You wouldn't have understood a word of it if I actually posted.

Oh, well. School starts Monday for me. Good luck to everyone else who's going back to school!

~o~O~o~

_Dear World,_

_Just when everything starts to look up, something comes up._

_The trouble that arises varies, but we both already knew that._

_But still, that one little push that started this was a push that broke it all._

_World, I will miss you. I just can't believe that it had to end this way._

_Love, Gale._

I slept well the night after the picnic. I mean, I wasn't up all night wondering if Katniss hated me or not. The worst of my problems when I fell asleep that night was whether or not Rose was going to wake me up at five in the morning to ask me to go bug hunting with her.

I thought that I would at least get an easy day. Not that I was actually allowed to have an easy day since I was stationed in a cursed cottage.

When I woke up, once again I thought the day was going to be normal. I woke up and ate a stack of waffles with Clover and then I saw her off as she went out to find Peeta. All I had to do after doing the breakfast dishes was wait around to see if Katniss or Rose was going to come over and bug me.

The knock on the door wasn't as suspicious to me as it should have been; when was the last time that someone had actually knocked on the door? And it's not like Ceil or Sebastian would be out knocking on doors- they were asleep on the floor.

I opened the door to see Billy the Mail Man was here with another letter for me, except this time the letter looked official. "Here you go, crazy. Apparently even loons can have a job can't they."

What did he mean by a job? I just sort of stood there in wonder as I watched the Mai Guy leave. Then as I shut the door I looked at who the envelope was from. Sure enough, it was my all famous District 2 job. You know the one that no one has a name for.

I opened the official looking letter, knowing that I was not going to be reading any good new.

I was oh so graciously reminded that my break had ended a week ago and I had to get back to the weapons plan or face the risk of having the new assassin (me being the old one) come and kill be because I had too much knowledge of the company… Wonderful.

I guess I would have to break the new to Katniss and Rose know, since Peeta was out and then I would tell Clover and the Cousins that they would have the cottage to themselves in just a few days.

Then I was hit with a fruit basket. "Hey yah, lazy," Katniss shouted as she came into the room followed by Rose. Notice how neither of them bothered to knock or announce their presence.

"Hi," I said as I tried to remove a pineapple from the back of my shirt. Now was when I had to break the news I guess. "Hey, you know…"

"Me first," Katniss interrupted me. "I just wanted you to know how glad I am that you are staying here. I can't wait to go hunting with you again. Sorry I've been so mean to you. Let's make this time better."

"I'm glad that you're living here to, Gale, in case you didn't know," Little Catnip added. Something tells me that they didn't know that I was on vacation. Now I wasn't sure if I could tell them that I had to go back to work, I think that Katniss would be furious with me. We had finally both gotten back on speaking terms.

Katniss then put on a blinding smile and looked at me intensely. "So what did you want to tell us, Gale?" she asked me sweetly.

I really didn't want her mad at me. I mean, isn't being broke and fending off an assassin better than being in a fight with my love again. "You know, you guys can stay here for dinner anytime you want to."

"Well, thank you, Gale, but Greasy Sae has already started to make us a big dinner," Katniss told me, falling back into the politeness that Peeta had taught her. I mean sort of. "Rose, you say thank you too. Rose?"

We looked for Rose, who just up and disappeared. I mean we looked until we heard a squeal, then I just figured that she was in the hands of Ceil. I'm not sure why Katniss stopped walking; I figured that she would be more pissed that Rose was with the person that she couldn't stop talking about since he arrived here the other day.

Then I saw what she was looking at. Why Clover, why did you have to do this to me.

Clover and Peeta were kissing in the door way, Peeta with on foot out the door, ready to go back and see his average happy family. Okay, maybe his family wasn't "average" but, close enough.

They were interrupted by a red vase breaking next to their heads. I wasn't aware that we had a red vase, not that me had one anymore.

"WHAT THE HELL!" Katniss shouted as soon as she had the couple's attention.

Of course the both started to develop Gale syndrome and had an inability to speak.

"How do you like it?" Katniss shouted. She then grabbed me and kissed me like she was trying to kill me. Was it sad that I enjoyed it?

I could see that Peeta was pissed, but she still couldn't think of the works to express his thoughts.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Katniss sneered as she stormed out of the cottage.

Wonderful.

"What did I miss?" Rose asked as she walked into the room we were in.

I smacked my forehead. This was just great.

~o~O~o~

I seriously think that I am actually falling in love of Seto Kaiba from Yu-gi-oh. I started to watch the abridged series and everything started to go downhill from there.

I mean, I've been obsessed with fictional characters before, such as Gale, but this is different. Oh well, I'm just a loon. I know you couldn't tell.

Oh, and I promise, one of these days I read through my chapters and make the grammar changes i need to.


	17. Chapter 17

Did anyone else notice that Rose ages about three years each time I write about her? She is one creepy child.

And yes, she is supposed to be five-ish, not however old she seems in this story.

Just imagine how old that would make Katniss and Gale. *shudders*

Thanks to the people who are reviewing here's your reward, a chapter that I at least pretend to proof read before I post it. (I just read over my last chapter, I've been making some pretty stupid mistakes.)

~o~O~o~

After hours and hours of thinking, I've narrowed it down to two possible ways to resolve the Peeta and Clover issue:

1: I could tell Katniss that I had to go back to my job and she would be so furious with me that she would leave District 12, forgetting about her husband, his girlfriend, and my existence. Thus, making her somewhat happy.

Or #2: I could decide not to go back, to my job, thus causing Assassin #2 come and assassinate me. This would make Assassin #2 become Assassin #1 through the promotion system. And I would be dead, which would suck, but the problem would also be erased from my mind… along with all of my other memories.

Frankly, neither one of those plans appealed to me, especially the ones that would cause Katniss to hate me. Wait that would be both of them.

Did I really just spend hours thinking up two plans that would result in me dying? Okay, that would be a worst case scenario for plan 1, but plan 2 counted one my death.

In the end, I decided on the newly added plan 3- go for a walk.

I passed a sleeping Ceil as I headed for the door. It was strange to see him there. I mean, of course he and Sebastian still slept on the floor, no the weird part was that Sebastian wasn't within a five foot radius of the child.

I didn't care enough to wake the sleeping boy, so I snuck out of the front door, quite like a ninja. Too bad there was no one to ninja stalk at the moment.

Heading down the gravel path that lead away from the Cursed Cottage, I noticed a lot more flowers than there was the other day… Katniss must be stress planting again.

Still, I had to admit that the flowers were pretty. So of course being me, I walked down the path not noticing where I was going, or I didn't care till I ran into Sebastian, who was talking on one of those newfangled cellular devices. He was in the middle of saying, "Yeah, if he doesn't show up for work I ki…" but then I ran into him and he stopped talking and glared at me.

"Um… Hi?" I stammered as I saw the murderous gaze that he had fixed on me. Apparently, someone was more suited to the killing aspect of my job than I was, that is, assuming that Sebastian was the person who was supposed to be the one who had to kill me and then take over my place as Grand High Executioner/Assassinator.

I didn't think that Sebastian was going to say anything to me, especially since he started walking towards the bushes without saying a word to me. But at the last second before he completely disappeared into the undergrowth, he turned to me. I did not like that knowing smirk on his face. "You've got one day, Number One, make the most of it."

Why did I even begin to think that I would have a couple more days to think out a survival plan?

But really, it's just my luck. Of course the other assassinator in the Company would be Katniss's cousin. Of course I would only have one more day to live or get to work, you know, instead of the six that it would usually take to locate me.

I walked for a few more minutes after the warning in silence. What was one supposed to do when they were told that they were going to die in a day?

"Hey, Gale," Rose yelled bringing me out of my daze. Something told me that she probably knew what was going on at the minute. I mean, not only does Little Catnip always find her way into stuff that she doesn't need to know, nut I figure that Ceil would have told her everything that he had heard from Sebastian ,on the matter.

I smiled at her like nothing was wrong though, because if she didn't actually know what was going on, she would know right away by the way I act. "How's it going, Kid?"

"Great," she replied with a smile. Then she frowned at me, "You planned on telling us yesterday, didn't you?"

I nodded. I seriously didn't want to say anything at the moment, so I just let her talk. "And how do you plan on fixing this problem?"

I shrugged my shoulders, looking and feeling very average, "I don't know, Rose, I guess just the usual run for the hills technique."

"Wow, Gale, that's original," Rose commented, sounding sour. Did I offend her with my lack of enthusiasm? Being Katniss's child, probably, I probably did.

"What would you rather me do?" I asked her. As much as I love my originality, I was open to ideas. Maybe I would be able to get out of town before Sebastian figured out my plan.

Little Katniss looked thoughtful. Then she slapped me, "You should have a better plan! It was _your_ job to find people with plans better than yours. I'm sure you have better ideas then running for the woods."

"Nope."

"Do you want me to get Katniss," she asked with a devilish grin. Did she really want me to think of a better plan that bad? She didn't have to threaten me. But Katniss was going to be so pissed off the second that she heard the news.

"Katniss doesn't need to know," I told her quickly, making sure that she didn't make a run for it. Apparently my impending death wasn't exciting enough for her. Maybe I should have really thought about my escape plan before I told her.

Then there was a rustle in the bushes. I watched in horror as a female figure walked out of the bushes. "Katniss doesn't need to know what exactly?" they asked.

I stared in shock for a moment. Then I realized that it was just Clover, not Katniss.

"JUST CLOVER!" she shouted as she kicked me in the shins. I have got to stop thinking out loud.

Rose walked over to Clover and tapped on her arm even though she was still in a fit of rage, "Clover, today is a be nice to Gale day. He is being both boring and mean, but he is going to die tomorrow, so we better be nice. You, know so we aren't guilty after he dies."

"Oh, that makes sense," Clover said with a smile, "Sorry, Gale."

And here I thought that they were going to say something sweet.

"So what exactly is going on," Clover said with a blank look on her face. Shouldn't she be more worried about me, even if she doesn't know what's about to happen to me?

"Sebastian is going to kill Gale because Gale was a bad boy and didn't show up for work because he is in love with a married woman," Rose explained. "I think that's about it."

"Oh…" Clover said, still looking relatively clueless.

"And know we are trying to come up with a way to save him from this horrible fate," Rose explained again to Clover. For someone who was blonde she was pretty clueless sometimes.

Clover thought for a moment. Then she looked like she had just figured out the meaning of life. "We can lock him in the basement. That way he can't get out and Sebastian can't get in."

_I wonder why I'm not talking in a conversation about me. Wait! What did Clover just say?_

"That's actually a good idea," Rose said as she pondered the idea. I believe this is the part in which I run away screaming.

It was too late for that thought because in the next moment a brick was bashed into my head.

_~o~O~o~_

"_See, Clover, now he won't squirm when we drag him down the stairs."_

"_Oh I see… Wait shouldn't we have left food and water down there for him?"_

"_Um… He'll live."_

~o~O~o~

Hey, guys, thanks for reading. I am so sorry that I haven't been updating. I know it's not an excuse but I just started a new school and it is a lot harder than what I'm used to. I'm going to update whenever I can, but if I'm on this schedule much longer, you will probably get these week/ 2 week projects.

Again, I'm sorry. But I need to save my writing for History reports and my sleep for Cross Country.

By the way, are five reports in two weeks normal for one class?

Bye!


	18. Chapter 18

I know that I'm a horrible for not updating! You have permission to murder me, but you have to do all of my homework first and they are all super-fun Honors classes.

Hurray for this random time I was given to write this. (In case you were wondering I'm beautifully injured.)

Anyway if you were wondering about the story its picking up after Rose and Clover put Gale in the basement after the knocked him out so that Sebastian can't find him and murder him.

~o~O~o~

I woke up in the dark and I was hungry. Okay so maybe that isn't weird, but I was on a cold hard floor and there was some bleeding coming from my head. My point is that there was definitely something wrong when I woke up.

Thinking of the predicament I was in, I realized that I shouldn't have thought that Rose put me here. I should have thought, _Wow, I can't believe that Sebastian actually pulled this off! _Not _God darn it, Rose, why am I bleeding!_ I guess that just goes to show you my trust in her.

There was a light from above and a voice called out to me. "Are you alive?" the voice asked as I decided that it was Clover who was speaking.

She was probably the only person who was going to let me out of here, so I had to respond all nice like. "Yes, sweetie, I am alive. How about you come and get me out of here so that I can see your pretty face."

I was so going to have to wash my mouth out with soap after saying that one.

"Okay! I'll come and get you, Cutie, I'm so glad that you're alive~ ~!" She was just about to jump down and get me (which would have been stupid) when a hand grabbed her shoulder.

Rose's angry voice took the stage… right after she closed the door to the cellar-basement-thing I was in. See this is how you can tell she was angry, I could here every word his said with I was in the dark dungeon. "You idiot! I told you he was alive. What I Sebastian saw him? Then Gale would be dead! Do you want a dead Gale?"

I could hear what Clover said, but I'm assuming that it was along the lines of "No." But I would have said the same exact thing.

And then there was real quite. You know that sound of real boredom. I was disappointed, really I was. I mean, at least if I was in this dungeon like room there should be dungeon like noises, such as rats squeaking or scuffling around.

There was the noise of my stomach occasionally rumbling, but that was to be expected because I didn't think to ask Clover for some food before I asked for my freedom. Sometimes I make the stupidest mistakes.

Then I was hit in the head with a stale bread role. At least I got authentic prisoner food.

Better than nothing I guess. And the bread did stop the angry stomach rumbles.

It really makes me wonder though, why they would lock me in the basement with nothing to do, eat, or see. It makes you wonder if Rose is really trying to kill me is trying to save me.

I knew I should have made a run for the mountains.

Then once again the light from above shown down on me, except this time I was not gifted with anything. Or at least that's what I thought until there was a huge thump next to me and it sounded like someone landed hard on their back.

"What just happened?" a new voice asked. It was Katniss.

This was not a gift. She was going to yell at me and punch me so that my head starts to bleed again.

I heard as she began to walk around. Neither of us could see anything, well that was until the smart person who was thrown down here found a light switch. All I can say is that I wish I would have thought to look for one.

There was a TV, a couch, and a lazy boys chair on top of a very comfortable looking carpet. I was in the kitchen. Yes, I was in a fully stocked kitchen and I didn't even realize it. Man, I'm a moron!

For some reason Katniss acted like it was normal to find me lying on her amazing basement floor. She sat down on the plushy couch. "You coming?"

"Sure," I told her as I stood up and started to walk towards me. Then I elegantly tripped in a puddle of my blood. Katniss laughed at me.

Thankfully she actually came over and helped me up. "Why are you down here?" she asked me. "I can understand that Rose threw me down here because Sebastian was coming at me with a knife, but what happened to you?"

"He's trying to kill me because I didn't show up for work after my vacation time was up and he wants the promotion so he wasn't going to give me a chance to get back to work," I told her, expecting the matter to upset her.

She just smiled, that silly girl. "You should have told me, I could have driven you back to District Two in my bullet and tank proof car."

Was I supposed to be suspicious of her being so nice to me? Maybe it was the life-and-death situations that we were going through that was causing the kindness. Or maybe it was because we were stuck in the same room and didn't want to have us clawing each other's thoughts out.

Oh well, I liked my love being nice to me and I hated being mean to her.

In the end we watched TV together and had a relatively good time. I don't know what was wrong with her, but we cooked dinner together and then went to bed after eating a snack of homemade cookies and watching a movie.

Times like this make me love Katniss even more. I still think that she was infected by alien poison, but I was enjoying this time. I could worry about death by Sebastian tomorrow.

I just hope that Rose is okay.

~o~O~o~

I swear I will start to update again! There are four more Cross Country meets left and then I can start doing my homework stuff right after school instead at seven when I get back from practice.

I'll even be able to have a life again!

Thanks for reading.


	19. Chapter 19

Okay, I'm a horrible person, I'll admit it, but hey, I updated didn't I! Anyway, I'm on Thanksgiving break (yes, already) so I'm going to try to update at least once a day this week. Okay maybe not on Tuesday because of practice and a stupid school thing all day and not on Thanksgiving because of family, but all of the other days.

**~o~O~o**

I was in the basement kitchen making breakfast for me and Katniss, who was still asleep. I couldn't help but smile at how cute she was asleep on the couch, where she fell asleep during the Disney movie marathon last night.

I on the other hand slept on the chair next to her. It's a shame that we were on different pieces of furniture, huh.

Anyways, I nearly jumped out of my skin when Rose whispered good morning in my ear. Thankfully she knew full and well not to wake her mom from slumber.

"Good morning, Rose," I told her as I put the scrambled eggs on a red serving plate.

She stole a spoon and took a bite of my eggs. With a look of approval at my creation, she told me why she came to visit. "Sebastian is still on a rampage looking for you. I'm safe with Ceil and Clover can't blow your cover because I got her and Peeta to go on a cruise. You and Katniss are going to have to stay down here until this all blows over."

I nodded to her. It wasn't going to be much of a problem spending my time alone with Katniss. Well unless she changes her mood again and isn't so nice.

Rose started to walk away before I could reply to her little bit of information. "Please don't have too much _fun_ with my mom, okay."

All I could do was stare at her until that demon left.

Finally I finished the ultimate breakfast, which consisted of my famous scrambled eggs, my habitually made waffles, my delectable bacon, and the boring orange juice I found in the refrigerator. Then I set everything nicely on the table with some nice china I found and a random fake flower that made its way into a vase that I placed in the center of the table.

"Katniss, breakfast," I called from the table figuring that it would be too weird to rub her shoulder until she woke up.

She slowly got up, which surprised me because she used to be the first person up and very awake when she needed to be.

"You made breakfast?" she mumbled groggily as she stood up in her bedraggled clothes with one shoulder of her shirt falling down. Even with the bad bed head she was still so adorable.

I smiled at her and decided that she wouldn't mind if I guided her to the table, which I was right about. "Come on, sleeping beauty, your letting the daylight pass and the food get cold."

I could tell that she was still in dreamland when all she did was giggle. Then as we began to eat she mumbled something that was almost incoherent and probably not meant for my ears. "He never cooks for me."

I had a feeling she was talking about Peeta, because I am pretty sure that she wasn't talking about Little Gale. That and I don't think that she knows many "he's" besides her husband, her son, me, Finnick, and Cinna. And sadly Finnick and Cinna are dead and I just don't count.

I watched as Katniss ate her food, and she was still much more civilized than I remembered. Not that her being civilized is a problem, it's strange to watch her eat like she isn't a starving person.

After that, in an amazing act of kindness, Katniss actually asked if I wanted help with the dish cleanup.

Some other people I know would have never offer to help with the dirty task.

And even though I probably wasn't supposed to accept her help, I did, one, because I hate dishes and two, because I wanted to spend time with her.

See, I can think of other people.

When we both finished eating we grabbed some dishes and headed to the sink. And like the mess was never there before, everything disappeared into the dishwasher in record time.

The problem was I didn't know if it was wrong to be disappointed by the presence of the dishwasher. I think it would have been a cute, memorable moment having a soap fight while we washed the dishes by hand.

"Until someone got soap in their eyes," Katniss commented as she sat down next to me on a couch that I had appeared on.

I looked at her in confusion. Either Katniss could read minds or I was thinking out loud again.

Katniss took a moment to read my face, and even though I knew I didn't say anything, she read me like a book. She laughed, "You were thinking out loud like a looney. I still can't read people's minds."

"Then what did you do just now?" I retorted. It was one thing to say you couldn't read minds, but another to say you couldn't read minds and then do it.

Katniss rolled her eyes at me and reclined against my shoulder. It was almost awkward for her to be touching me again.

"There are times when I can read your face, you know. I have known you all my life, not to mention that I love you."

"You make me sound like a wussy," I commented, not paying attention to what she said past her mentioning of her ability to read me like a book.

"And who says you aren't?" Katniss said with a playful push to where her head just was on my shoulder.

"Oh no you don't," O said pushing her back, a little harder then I intended to.

Of course a normal girl would have been bothered by her head banging on the wooden arm of a fancy couch. Katniss just laughed and tackled me as payback.

And, as all stories dictate, because I was tackled by Katniss, I was thrown into a face-to-face position with her. You know, the ones that are good for kiss scenes.

The semi-alarming part came when Katniss actually started to lean towards me. It was really a panic moment because, well, when did Katniss decide that she would be the kind to cheat on her husband.

Then, as it seems that thinking does no good in a situation like this, Katniss was kissing me.

Sad to say the kiss wasn't like the ones in my dreams. It was one of those strange ones, like when two socially awkward teenagers confess their undying love for the first time.

I remember thinking that I should push away and discourage her from cheating, but I think all I did was kiss her back.

"I see we have a heart-to-heart to arrange," I said, still confused but happy about the matter.

"We have plenty of time to do that later," Katniss said as she pushed me back onto the couch as I tried to sit back up to talk to her.

Nothing productive was done this day.

**~o~O~o~**

So after I finished cross country my friend convinced me to try out of basketball. Now cross country took up time and gave me shin-splints that my XC coach got very mad about. The day basketball started my XC coach saw me and laughed and said something about my shin-splints. Now here I am about two months later with less time than ever, worse shin-splints, and a messed up knee that is need of a brace and crutches if I allow myself to look that weak. Sometimes, I hate my life.

I WILL UPDATE SOON! (Yes, I am sure you are tired of hearing me say that.


	20. Chapter 20

I'm sorry I'm so lazy you guys. I just refuse to read through my stuff right after I type it and that means that the editing stage doesn't happen very often. But thanks, BookAddiction24 , maybe one of these days I will actually go back and fix that problem.

And every one who reviewed, I'm really glad to see that people still read this after me being such a bad person and not updating for like how long? A month and a half.

I love you all! Even you, person who isn't updating.

~o~O~o~

"So…um…" I mumbled as I woke up entangled in Katniss's arms on the couch that we must have fallen asleep on.

Her eyes blinked open and she slowly came back into consciousness. She was adorable. "Oh, good morning, Gale," she said with a sleepy smile, as if she woke up next to me every morning.

Normally, I would have lost my ability to speak, but thankfully my brain wasn't awake enough to remember that. Instead it went back to one of the reflexes that I adopted from Annie. "Good morning, Katniss. Did you sleep well?"

"Best night I have had since I married that moron," she grumbled. I had a feeling she didn't really pay attention to what she was saying, because I am sure that she wouldn't really say something like that out loud normally, even in front of me when we were the best of friends way back whenever.

Of course I finally was out of things to say. I mean what is the normal thing to say after something like that? But I never do know what to say so I went out on a limb and said, "I guess it's not that fun marrying someone who no longer loved you unconditionally after he had done it for so long, huh."

"Says the one who wanted to help rebuild the government," she pointed out, with reason of course.

"I wanted the world to be better for everyone," I said in my defense, "Plus aren't you the really the one who caused the whole uprising?"

It was her turn to go into defensive mode. "I didn't do it one purpose!" she said in a loud voice that could have been compared to a shout. Okay, it was a shout.

"I know, I know, sorry for teasing you," I told her, not wanting to ruin the dream that I had stepped into yesterday. I pet her hair very awkwardly trying to calm her down. And when I said that I was awkwardly petting her, I mean that it was awkward enough for her to start laughing at me.

Then there was a knock on the basement door. "Can I come down?" Little Catnip asked. I couldn't believe that Rose actually asked something, but I think she was probably more scared of what she might walk in on.

"You can come down," her mom called to her as she extracted herself from me, but didn't walk away until she placed a quick kiss on the tip of my nose. I wasn't sure if that was too weird, but I just smiled anyway and waited for Rose to take her place in front of me and tell me what was going on. And in seconds, she was there.

She promptly handed me the phone before I knew what was going on. "It's your boss; he wants to talk to you."

I wasn't sure if I wanted to talk to him or not, since he was sending an assassin after me, but since he did call me I guess I had nothing to lose.

"Hello?" I asked timidly into the phone. I was worried about what he was going to say and Katniss and Little Catnip looked the same.

"Hello, Gale, how have you been?" my boss, William T. Spears asked. I almost forgot that we were really good friends, though mostly just drinking buddies.

I felt a quick smile come onto my lips, even though it quickly passed. "I'm good. To what do I owe the pleasure of you calling?"

He sounded surprised, as if he would actually call the person he was trying to eradicate from the planet. "Actually that little girl, Rose was her name, called me. She said that one of my employees was trying to kill innocent civilians to get to you. It didn't really get to me at first because, well civilians as expendable as you know."

I nodded my head even though I know that he couldn't see me doing it. "Yes, I remember quite well."

William continued, "Then the girl said that Sebastian tried to kill Katniss Everdeen or whatever her name is, and well, I have always admired her. And then I remembered one of the times when you got like really drunk, I'm assuming you don't remember. And usually you aren't a bad drunk, but you must have been really upset about something. I mean you were horrible. But you know what you complained about the most?"

I remembered waking up the day after feeling like I did something really bad, but I wasn't really sure what went on that night. "No, sir, I do not remember what I complained about the most."

"Well, you when on about how cure life was because you couldn't marry the girl that you had loved since forever. So I asked you who it was and you told me, 'the great and wonderful Katniss Everdeen. Oh, how I love her more than my own life. I would do anything to live with her, who is more radiant than a thousand suns. She is the light of my world and she had to go and marry that useless Peeta.' And so I said, 'Well, if you love her that much, then the day she falls in love with you back, then I will let you work your job long distance.' And if I am correct it sound=ds to me like to slept with her last night."

I blushed like a tomato and stammered for a minute. "We didn't go that far!"

Or course Katniss and Rose knew exactly what I was yelling about. Katniss joined me in the tomato impression contest. Rose just laughed.

"Either way," William continued, "my deal still stands. And since I can't have Sebastian killing Katniss, we have to get rid of him, since he seems to be leaking more information that you ever could, considering how love-struck you clearly are at the moment."

It was another stammering moment for me. Was he really going to let me off the hook and just erase my black-haired problem from the world and let me live with my dream girl? "Sure…"

"So I am sending the Red-Haired Reaper down to get that liability away from society contact. And you get to keep you job, life, and possibly future wife. Now good bye."

"Thank you, sir," was all I managed to say before he hung up on me, off to continue his life of doing nothing but something productive.

I told the two girls the good news. Katniss engulfed me in a lung-crushing hug and Rose quickly clapped and cheered and snuck off somewhere, probably to find Ceil so she could get some hugs too.

I was worried about the Red-Haired Reaper coming. He was a strange character. In fact he was the one who judged who we killed and who we let live… and he was a strange character.

~o~O~o~

When I take out the trash, I usually either have a major fangirl moment or sing loudly. Well thankfully last night I didn't do either, because my hot neighbor was outside and walking his dog and didn't see me acting like an idiot.


	21. Chapter 21

I actually woke up early on a Saturday! And since I turned in a huge chunk of homework, I don't have anything urgent to do today!

So I avoided Sims and sat myself don't to update this silly thing because I just go a review on one of my first stories. It made me realize that you always have someone at least reading your stories and then I felt bad because I never update anymore.

Now for the chapter…

**~o~O~o~**

I woke up feeling like I had a family for the first time in a long time. It started when Rose woke me up to tell me that Katniss wanted to know if I was going to help make breakfast; of course I said yes.

So I followed Rose to the kitchen and sure enough there was my lovely Katniss cooking breakfast for us, apron and all.

After a smile and a good morning kiss, Katniss got me set up cooking the waffles and Rose setting the table.

And then, soon enough, we all sat down at the table for a homemade breakfast, just like I always imagined families were supposed to act if they had the money for breakfast. The jokes, laughs, and smiles were like a gift first thing in the morning.

When the smile fest and cleanup was over with, we sat down around the coffee table to play a friendly game of slap jack with a deck of cards that Rose had found in the closet. Well, as friendly as we could play a game that evoked violence.

The beautiful family atmosphere ended the second that the first slap was landed on someone's hand on accident. Considering that the three us can be extremely competitive, I think that the game when well. It wasn't at all like the Dreadful Card Game of 1989 when someone lost a hand.

Sadly, about the 80th round into the game, I remembered that a certain creep was scheduled to come and eradicate a certain ninja killer. And I could guarantee that the Red Haired Reaper was going to be early… and I really didn't want Katniss and Rose to meet that freak.

"Alright, guys, time for you to get out of here," I announced as I skillfully swiped the cards away from the table and their hands.

Rose glared at my hand, clearly mad about me stealing her cards. Katniss on the other hand at least asked an acceptable question related to the current topic.

"Why do we suddenly need to leave?" she asked sounding a little bit sad, probably because she thought that I was mad at her or something.

I gave her my gravest look. "Because the events that are about to happen here are not for the weak of heart."

She just raised an eyebrow and began to tap her foot.

"Because it could be dangerous?" I asked, hoping that answer would be pleasing enough to make her leave. She just began to shake her head not.

So I decided that I should try something a little closer to the truth, "A creepy guy with long red hair is going to burst into this room without any warning and attack us with glitters and unicorns before he goes and rips out Sebastian's heart."

And, just as it looked like Katniss was actually going to contemplate leaving, Rose decided that it was time for her to throw in her opinion and whine, "But I wanna meet him."

"I really don't think…" I began to say when the Red Haired Reaper decided that it was a goodtime to make his appearance.

"Gale," he yelled as he ran across the room and embraced me, "No matter how many years go by you are always so strong yet beautiful! I could just see us, like Bella and Edward, doomed to never be lovers! But we would find a way!"

I punched the man right in his nose so that I could finally escape from his embrace. I turned to look at Katniss and Rose to see what they thought about what just happened. Katniss was wide eyed and gasping while that horrid Little Catnip just stood there with a smirk, snickering at me.

My life was over, wasn't it.

And then the Creep began to go back into sparkle mode. "What a punch, what lovely strength! How beautiful are your…"

As it turned out, yet another person had come to visit. The only person who could actually shut Creep up, William T. Spears.

"I thought I told to that you had to wait for me before you caused trouble," William told Creep as pulled his ear, distancing the Creep from me.

Since William was a much more normal person, and my boss still, maybe, I decided that introductions were needed. "William, this is Rose and this is Katniss. Katniss, Rose, this is William."

"It's nice to meet you," Katniss said with a slight bow of the head and Rose followed suit. At least they could make a good impression.

"Now can we please get to business, so that I can see the sky again," I asked, eager to be able to go upstairs without having to worry about a nuclear bomb being dropped on me from Sebastian or something.

"Yes, I thought that it would be a good idea to get this done quickly, that's why I came to babysit this guy," he said yanking Creep's ear for emphasis.

I smiled, "Should we just send him out?"

"Might as well," William answered. Then he turned to the Reaper, "Go kill Sebastian."

"MY ROMEO!" he answered wide eyed and in shock.

William straightened his glasses trying to find some patience. "Yes, Sebastian. He's trying to kill Gale and ruin his barely existent love life."

"Hey!"

"Well if that's what I have to do…" Creep pouted. Trying one last puppy-eye trick, he really did like Sebastian.

Then Rose came over, "Please, do it for me. I know you don't know me, but I really want my mom and Gale to be happy together. And then I'll have a dad that won't cheat on my mom."

That invoked a little more pity than was recommended because Creep rushed out of basement yelling something about saving the innocent heart of a young girl.

I really wanted to know who that innocent girl was.

William than patted my shoulder, "I'll be back after the kill."

I nodded but was still deep in thought. Innocent girl?

**~o~O~o~**

Now I can go back into mourning.

**I BELIEVE IN SHERLOCK HOLMES! MORIARTY WAS REAL!**


End file.
